Whether We Care, How We Reason: The Dual Role of Anthropomorphism and Moral Foundations in Robot Abuse

TL;DR

This study explores how anthropomorphism and moral foundations influence human reactions to robot abuse, revealing that robot humanness affects moral consideration and moral reasoning varies with individual moral perspectives.

Contribution

It demonstrates the dual role of anthropomorphism and moral foundations in shaping responses to robot mistreatment, integrating quantitative and qualitative insights.

Findings

Anthropomorphism influences moral consideration of robots.

Moral foundations shape reasoning about robot abuse.

Distinct reasoning patterns emerge based on moral perspectives.

Abstract

As robots become increasingly integrated into daily life, understanding responses to robot mistreatment carries important ethical and design implications. This mixed-methods study (N = 201) examined how anthropomorphic levels and moral foundations shape reactions to robot abuse. Participants viewed videos depicting physical mistreatment of robots varying in humanness (Spider, Twofoot, Humanoid) and completed measures assessing moral foundations, anger, and social distance. Results revealed that anthropomorphism determines whether people extend moral consideration to robots, while moral foundations shape how they reason about such consideration. Qualitative analysis revealed distinct reasoning patterns: low-progressivism individuals employed character-based judgments, while high-progressivism individuals engaged in future-oriented moral deliberation. Findings offer implications for robot design and policy communication.