Authors

• Oksanen, Atte (Tampere University. Faculty of Social Sciences)
• Savela, Nina (Tampere University. Faculty of Social Sciences)
• Latikka, Rita (Tampere University. Faculty of Social Sciences)

Keywords

artificial intelligence, attitudes, computers, cooperation, group behaviour, intergroup relations, occupational life, workplace relations

Abstract

The survey charted the opinions and attitudes of US citizens towards robots and how interaction changes when a human is replaced by a robot. The data was collected as part of the Robots in Society research project. The project explores interaction processes and societal understanding of human-robot encounters.

First, respondents were asked about their background and personality traits. They were also asked about their work and their use of technology. Next, respondents were randomly divided into four different experimental groups. Respondents were asked to imagine themselves in a hypothetical work situation. The experiment varied the composition of the work-related social group by including four robots in the imaginary situation or by describing a group of people only. It also varied whether the experiment referred to a work team or to individual job seekers. Respondents were then asked to write a short imaginary text about their first day in this new job with the team in question.

In the second test, respondents were divided into four groups. Respondents were asked to imagine a situation in which they would receive information from other people about how to use a robot. The experiment varied the proximity of the informant to the respondent and the positivity of the information. After the experiment, respondents were asked about their self-efficacy in using the robot, their general attitude towards robots and their perceived usefulness of using the robot. After the experimental set-up, respondents were asked about their previous experiences with robots, as well as attitudes and self-efficacy towards technology and robots.

The following scales or measures, which also appear as abbreviations in the variable names, have been used in the data: BF = Big Five Inventory (personality traits neuroticism, extroversion, openness, agreeableness and conscientiousness), SIAS = SIAS-6 Social Interaction Anxiety, TE3-TE4 = Social Identification, TE5-TE7 = Perceived Technology Support, RS = Robot Self-Efficacy RUSH-3, SE1-SE3 = Robot Self-Efficacy RUSH-3, SE4-SE7 = Perceived Robot Usefulness, and ANX = Anxiety toward robots.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, age group, area of residence, type of residence, highest level of education, houdehold's gross annual income, economic activity.