IKEA effect and empathy for robots: Can assembly strengthen human-agent relationships?
Cooperative relationships between humans and agents are becoming more important for the social coexistence of anthropomorphic agents, including virtual agents and robots. One way to improve the relationship between humans and agents is for humans to empathize with agents. Empathy can increase human...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327524 |
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| _version_ | 1849701601127694336 |
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| author | Takahiro Tsumura Seiji Yamada |
| author_facet | Takahiro Tsumura Seiji Yamada |
| author_sort | Takahiro Tsumura |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Cooperative relationships between humans and agents are becoming more important for the social coexistence of anthropomorphic agents, including virtual agents and robots. One way to improve the relationship between humans and agents is for humans to empathize with agents. Empathy can increase human acceptance. In this study, we focus on the IKEA effect in creating agents and examine empathy through interpersonal relationships. We conducted a robot assembly task in which participants either cooperatively built the same robot or individually assembled their own. The results showed that the IKEA effect promoted empathy toward the agent regardless of the relationship between participants. However, participants did not show a significant change in empathy levels from before to after the task. These results suggest that regardless of the relationship between participants, the IKEA effect can promote empathy toward the agent. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-707e271105f3453bb4ec02fceb476494 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-707e271105f3453bb4ec02fceb4764942025-08-20T03:17:54ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01207e032752410.1371/journal.pone.0327524IKEA effect and empathy for robots: Can assembly strengthen human-agent relationships?Takahiro TsumuraSeiji YamadaCooperative relationships between humans and agents are becoming more important for the social coexistence of anthropomorphic agents, including virtual agents and robots. One way to improve the relationship between humans and agents is for humans to empathize with agents. Empathy can increase human acceptance. In this study, we focus on the IKEA effect in creating agents and examine empathy through interpersonal relationships. We conducted a robot assembly task in which participants either cooperatively built the same robot or individually assembled their own. The results showed that the IKEA effect promoted empathy toward the agent regardless of the relationship between participants. However, participants did not show a significant change in empathy levels from before to after the task. These results suggest that regardless of the relationship between participants, the IKEA effect can promote empathy toward the agent.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327524 |
| spellingShingle | Takahiro Tsumura Seiji Yamada IKEA effect and empathy for robots: Can assembly strengthen human-agent relationships? PLoS ONE |
| title | IKEA effect and empathy for robots: Can assembly strengthen human-agent relationships? |
| title_full | IKEA effect and empathy for robots: Can assembly strengthen human-agent relationships? |
| title_fullStr | IKEA effect and empathy for robots: Can assembly strengthen human-agent relationships? |
| title_full_unstemmed | IKEA effect and empathy for robots: Can assembly strengthen human-agent relationships? |
| title_short | IKEA effect and empathy for robots: Can assembly strengthen human-agent relationships? |
| title_sort | ikea effect and empathy for robots can assembly strengthen human agent relationships |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0327524 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT takahirotsumura ikeaeffectandempathyforrobotscanassemblystrengthenhumanagentrelationships AT seijiyamada ikeaeffectandempathyforrobotscanassemblystrengthenhumanagentrelationships |