Eliciting a User’s Preferences by the Self-Disclosure of Socially Assistive Robots in Local Households of Older Adults to Facilitate Verbal Human–Robot Interaction

Toshiharu Igarashi (), Misato Nihei, Takenobu Inoue, Ikuko Sugawara and Minoru Kamata
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Toshiharu Igarashi: Department of Human and Engineered Environmental Studies, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa 277-8563, Chiba, Japan
Misato Nihei: Department of Human and Engineered Environmental Studies, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa 277-8563, Chiba, Japan
Takenobu Inoue: Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for the Persons with Disabilities, 1, Namiki 4-Chome, Tokorozawa 359-8555, Saitama, Japan
Ikuko Sugawara: Bunri University of Hospitality, 311-1, Kashiwabara-Shinden, Sayama 350-1336, Saitama, Japan
Minoru Kamata: Department of Human and Engineered Environmental Studies, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa 277-8563, Chiba, Japan

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 18, 1-18

Abstract: To realize a society in which older adults can live independently in their homes and familiar environments for as long as possible, their lives can be supported by providing appropriate technology. In this case, a new intervention for older people using socially assistive robots (SARs) is proposed; however, previous research has demonstrated that individual differences exist in the use and response to SAR interventions, and it has also been reported that SARs are not used by users in some cases. Therefore, in this study, we developed a self-disclosure function to promote continuous interaction with robots, using a Japanese corpus and self-disclosure items. In this study, we defined the specific requirements and functions of self-disclosure in SARs and developed ten non-arbitrary speech scripts from the field of social psychology using a Japanese corpus and self-disclosure items. To evaluate the effect of self-disclosure in SARs, an SAR was introduced to each household for 20 days, with the consent of seven community-dwelling older adults. Based on the recorded voice interaction data, we analyzed how the number, total time, and quality of verbal interactions changed with the SAR’s self-disclosure. Furthermore, we conducted group interviews with the participants and received positive comments regarding the robot’s self-disclosure. Some participants considered the specific personality of the SAR by accumulating its behavioral characteristics. As a consequence, these results indicate that the robot’s self-disclosure feature is effective in significantly increasing the quantity and quality of verbal interactions with older adults.

Keywords: socially assistive robots; self-disclosure; human–robot interaction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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