Would You Rely on an Eerie Agent? A Systematic Review of the Impact of the Uncanny Valley Effect on Trust in Human-Agent Interaction

TL;DR

This systematic review examines how the Uncanny Valley Effect influences trust in human-like agents, analyzing 53 empirical studies to understand their relationship and identify methodological patterns and gaps.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive mapping of the intersection between the Uncanny Valley Effect and trust in human-agent interaction, proposing a new framework for trust measurement approaches.

Findings

Most studies use static images or hypothetical scenarios

Majority rely on subjective trust measures

Identifies gaps and methodological limitations in current research

Abstract

Trust is a fundamental component of human-agent interaction. With the increasing presence of artificial agents in daily life, it is essential to understand how people perceive and trust these agents. One of the key challenges affecting this perception is the Uncanny Valley Effect (UVE), where increasingly human-like artificial beings can be perceived as eerie or repelling. Despite growing interest in trust and the UVE, existing research varies widely in terms of how these concepts are defined and operationalized. This inconsistency raises important questions about how and under what conditions the UVE influences trust in agents. A systematic understanding of their relationship is currently lacking. This review aims to examine the impact of the UVE on human trust in agents and to identify methodological patterns, limitations, and gaps in the existing empirical literature. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search identified 53 empirical studies that investigated both UVE-related constructs and trust or trust-related outcomes. Studies were analyzed based on a structured set of categories, including types of agents and interactions, methodological and measurement approaches, and key findings. The results of our systematic review reveal that most studies rely on static images or hypothetical scenarios with limited real-time interaction, and the majority use subjective trust measures. This review offers a novel framework for classifying trust measurement approaches with regard to the best-practice criteria for empirically investigating the UVE. As the first systematic attempt to map the intersection of UVE and trust, this review contributes to a deeper understanding of their interplay and offers a foundation for future research. Keywords: the uncanny valley effect, trust, human-likeness, affinity response, human-agent interaction