Analyzing the role of social robots in basic science

An important high-order mechanism of social cognition is intellectualization , That is, tracking the psychological state of others . This is one of the key mechanisms that allow you to predict and explain the behavior of others . To participate in the coaching process , You need to take a deliberate position . That is, they need to see the agent they refer to as a conscious system , Can produce a mental state . Some researchers have solved the question of whether humans activate the mental mechanisms of robots like other humans . This may indicate , The mechanisms involved in the coaching process are special for social interaction with others , It does not necessarily extend to the interaction with artificial subjects such as robots .

Human possible ( In some cases ) Attribute intentionality to robots , Or explain and predict their behavior according to their mental state , This fact shows that , Researchers' cognitive system uses the tools it has developed in human history to adapt to new situations , For example, social interaction with artificial agents . This may show the flexibility of the cognitive system , The mechanism is developed for natural interaction with specific organisms and other natural species , Seems to have been hijacked by other types of agents , And these agents do not belong to the natural order . However , The existing literature on attributing mental state to robots provides a complex picture . It seems that in some cases , Tutoring systems are also used for human agents , But not always . In future research , What are the key conditions for attributing mental state to robot , Further research is needed . In the literature reviewed here , It may be that different ways of operation of intentional positions have produced different results .

In order to understand the difference between the results and the potential factors leading to the possibility of taking a deliberate posture towards the robot , It is best to develop a common and unified method to operate certain concepts , And the general method of measuring them , It is best to study on different robot platforms , To test whether the obtained effect can be popularized in various robot embodiments . This will be an important method , Not only in solving social cognitive mechanisms , Such as counseling , And it's a general suggestion , Social robot research and overall human-computer interaction to measure human cognitive mechanism .

Social robots – In addition to playing the role of assistant and companion in all fields of human life – It can also tell researchers that human society – The flexibility of the cognitive system – in many instances , It can obviously reuse the same mechanism used in interacting with other details , Put the human body – At least in a way similar to humans – Integration into the social sphere . However , This flexibility may take some time to develop , And some social cognitive mechanisms , For example, the application of social norms , Or in some cases , For interaction with others , May be unique . Besides , In order to draw a more general conclusion , This research area will benefit from the use of unified experimental protocols to replicate research .

To sum up, these studies involve the cognitive mechanism between different robot platforms , To test whether the observed effect is related to a specific robot shape . Despite these limitations in the current level of Technology , However, the literature reviewed by the study shows that , How extensive the application and scientific contribution of social robots are , From the application field to more theories and basic problems related to human social cognition . therefore , Because the field of social robot is multidisciplinary to a great extent , And has a wide range of potential contributions to applied science and basic science .