Robotic pets in the lives of preschool children

Authors:
Peter H. Kahn, Jr.;Batya Friedman;Deanne R. Perez-Granados;Nathan G. Freier
Affiliations:
University of Washington, Seattle, WA;University of Washington, Seattle, WA;Stanford University, Stanford, CA;University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Venue:
CHI '04 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Year:
2004

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Abstract

This study examined preschool children's reasoning about and behavioral interactions with one of the most advanced robotic pets currently on the retail market, Sony's robotic dog AIBO. Eighty children, equally divided between two age groups, 34-50 months and 58-74 months, participated in individual sessions that included play with and an interview about two artifacts: AIBO and a stuffed dog. Results showed similarities in children's reasoning about the two artifacts, but differences in their behavioral interactions. Discussion focuses on how robotic pets, as representative of an emerging technological genre in HCI, may be (a) blurring foundational ontological categories, and (b) impacting children's social and moral development. More broadly, results inform on our understanding of the human-robotic relationship.