Social Companion Robots to Reduce Isolation: A Perception Change Due to COVID-19

TL;DR

This study investigates how COVID-19 influenced perceptions of social companion robots, finding that pandemic-related experiences and loneliness increased positive attitudes and willingness to purchase such robots.

Contribution

It provides empirical evidence on how pandemic circumstances and personal factors shape perceptions of social robots as companions during social isolation.

Findings

COVID-19 increased positive perception of social robots.

Loneliness correlates with willingness to buy social robots.

Personality traits influence attitudes towards COVID-19 and social robots.

Abstract

Social isolation is one of the negative consequences of a pandemic like COVID-19. Social isolation and loneliness are not only experienced by older adults, but also by younger people who live alone and cannot communicate with others or get involved in social situations as they used to. In such situations, social companion robots might have the potential to reduce social isolation and increase well-being. However, society's perception of social robots has not always been positive. In this paper, we conducted two online experiments with 102 and 132 participants during the self isolation periods of COVID-19 (May-June 2020 and January 2021), to study how COVID-19 has affected people's perception of the benefits of a social robot. Our results showed that a change caused by COVID-19, as well as having an older relative who lived alone or at a care center during the pandemic significantly and positively affected people's perception of social robots, as companions, and that the feeling of loneliness can drive the purchase of a social robot. The second study replicated the results of the first study. We also discuss the effects of Big 5 personality traits on the likelihood to purchase a social robot, as well as on participants' general attitude towards COVID-19 and adapting to the pandemic.