Can robots elicit empathy? The effects of social robots’ appearance on emotional contagion

The increasing integration of robots as service providers or companions in daily life has prompted extensive research on the emotional aspects of human-robot interaction (HRI). Emotional contagion, a crucial factor influencing user experience in HRI, has gained considerable attention. However, limited research explores the influence of anthropomorphism and gender differences in robot modeling on emotional contagion in HRI, leaving a gap in reference guidance for social robot design and application. To address this, we investigate human-robot interactions in service scenarios, analyzing the impact of robot appearance, anthropomorphism, and gender on the transmission of positive and negative emotions. The experimental findings highlight the significant role of robot gender in influencing emotional contagion in HRI, while revealing the interaction effect between robot gender and anthropomorphism on emotional contagion. This interdisciplinary study provides empirical evidence that enriches research on the emotional aspects of HRI and contributes to more informed design of user experiences.