Beyond the Uncanny Valley: A Mixed-Method Investigation of Anthropomorphism in Protective Responses to Robot Abuse

TL;DR

This study explores how varying levels of robot human-like features influence human protective and moral responses to robot abuse, revealing complex non-linear effects and implications for robot design and policy.

Contribution

It extends CASA and uncanny valley theories into moral domains, demonstrating how anthropomorphism affects protective responses and moral reasoning towards robots.

Findings

Moderately anthropomorphic robots evoke strongest physiological anger.

Self-reported anger and guilt increase with higher anthropomorphism.

Moral reasoning shifts from property to societal and animal rights concerns.

Abstract

Robots with anthropomorphic features are increasingly shaping how humans perceive and morally engage with them. Our research investigates how different levels of anthropomorphism influence protective responses to robot abuse, extending the Computers as Social Actors (CASA) and uncanny valley theories into a moral domain. In an experiment, we invite 201 participants to view videos depicting abuse toward a robot with low (Spider), moderate (Two-Foot), or high (Humanoid) anthropomorphism. To provide a comprehensive analysis, we triangulate three modalities: self-report surveys measuring emotions and uncanniness, physiological data from automated facial expression analysis, and qualitative reflections. Findings indicate that protective responses are not linear. The moderately anthropomorphic Two-Foot robot, rated highest in eeriness and "spine-tingling" sensations consistent with the uncanny valley, elicited the strongest physiological anger expressions. Self-reported anger and guilt are significantly higher for both the Two-Foot and Humanoid robots compared to the Spider. Qualitative findings further reveal that as anthropomorphism increases, moral reasoning shifts from technical assessments of property damage to condemnation of the abuser's character, while governance proposals expand from property law to calls for quasi-animal rights and broader societal responsibility. These results suggest that the uncanny valley does not dampen moral concern but paradoxically heightens protective impulses, offering critical implications for robot design, policy, and future legal frameworks.