A recent study by scientists at the University of Cambridge has discovered that robots can positively impact people’s mental health in the workplace. The study was conducted using two different types of robots as feel-good trainers over a four-week period at a technology consulting firm. Both robots used identical voices and facial expressions and the same scripts for coaching. The only difference was that one was a toy-like robot and the other was humanoid-like.
The 26 employees who participated in the study were asked to recall a positive experience, following which the two robots asked follow-up questions. The participants were later asked about the robots’ performance using a questionnaire and an interview, in which Misty, the toy-like robot, performed better than QT, the humanoid robot. The researchers assumed that Misty met the participants’ low expectations better, while the humanoid robot raised expectations that were not met.
The researchers observed that people’s expectations of a robot tend to hinder their acceptance of the robot. Nevertheless, the participants found the feel-good exercises helpful, with some even expressing their willingness to talk to a robot. Therefore, the scientists see a robot as a good way to remind people in the workplace to perform well-being exercises. “And when you’re trying to improve mental well-being, saying things out loud, even to a robot, can help,” says Hatice Gunes, a professor in the Cambridge Department of Computer Science and Technology.
The two feel-good robot trainers will now be improved, especially in terms of their responsiveness, to improve interactions during coaching sessions. The researchers hope that new developments in large language models could be beneficial in developing more interactive robots capable of natural conversation.
