Social Robots As Embedded Reinforcers of Social Behavior in Children with Autism

Overview

Journal J Autism Dev Disord

Publisher Springer

Date 2012 Nov 1

PMID 23111617

Citations 60

Authors

Elizabeth S Kim

Lauren D Berkovits

Emily P Bernier

Dan Leyzberg

Frederick Shic

Rhea Paul

Brian Scassellati

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

In this study we examined the social behaviors of 4- to 12-year-old children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; N = 24) during three tradic interactions with an adult confederate and an interaction partner, where the interaction partner varied randomly among (1) another adult human, (2) a touchscreen computer game, and (3) a social dinosaur robot. Children spoke more in general, and directed more speech to the adult confederate, when the interaction partner was a robot, as compared to a human or computer game interaction partner. Children spoke as much to the robot as to the adult interaction partner. This study provides the largest demonstration of social human-robot interaction in children with autism to date. Our findings suggest that social robots may be developed into useful tools for social skills and communication therapies, specifically by embedding social interaction into intrinsic reinforcers and motivators.

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