Android Robot Promotes Disclosure of Negative Narratives by Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Bibliographic Data

ID15519657
AuthorsHirokazu Kumazaki (0000-0002-2567-0276, National Institute of Mental Health, corresponding author), Taro Muramatsu (0000-0003-4066-7865, Keio University), Yuichiro Yoshikawa (0000-0002-3484-0361, The University of Osaka), Yoshio Matsumoto (0000-0001-7325-9580, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry), Keiji Takata (National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry), Hiroshi Ishiguro (0000-0002-0805-7648, The University of Osaka), Masaru Mimura (0000-0002-3874-5273, Keio University)
Year2022
Volume13
Pages899664-899664
Publication date2022-06-15
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1664-0640 • E-ISSN: 1664-0640
PublisherFrontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fpsyt.2022.899664
PMID35782427
OpenAlexW4282939205
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited49

Many individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) demonstrate some challenges with personal narrative writing. Sentence completion tests (SCT) is a class of semi-structured projective techniques and encourage respondents to disclose their private narratives. Even in SCT, only providing beginning of sentences is inadequate to compensate atypicalities in their creativity and imagination, and self-disclosure is difficult for many individuals with ASD. It is reported that many individuals with ASD often achieve a higher degree of task engagement through interactions with robots and that robotic systems may be useful in eliciting and promoting social communication such as self-disclosure for some individuals with ASD. There is a possibility that exemplification by android robots in place of human interviewers can result in a higher degree of task engagement for individuals with ASD. The objective of this study was to investigate whether additional exemplifications by android robots in the SCT can prompt self-disclosure for individuals with ASD. We compared the difference in disclosure statements and subjective emotion in the testing paper of the SCT in additional exemplification by an android robot and a human interviewer. In addition, we assessed the disclosure statements and subjective emotions in the SCT, for which exemplifications were written on testing paper to make the comparison. Our quantitative data suggested that exemplification by android robot promoted more self-disclosure, especially about the negative topic compared to exemplification by a human interviewer and that written on test paper. In addition, the level of participant embarrassment in response to exemplification by the android robot seemed to be lower compared to that in the human interviewer condition. In the assessment and support for individuals with ASD, eliciting self-disclosure is a pressing issue. It is hoped that the appropriate use of robots will lead to a better understanding and support for their application

Android (operating system · Exemplification · Internet privacy · Interview · Narrative · Applied Psychology · Autism Spectrum Disorder Research · Child Development and Digital Technology · Computer Science · Family and Disability Support Research · Psychology