The development of executive function (EF) in children, particularly with respect to self-regulation skills, has been linked to long-term benefits in terms of social and health outcomes. One such skill is the ability to deal with frustrations when waiting for a delayed, preferred reward. Although robots have increasingly been utilized in educational situations that involve teaching psychosocial skills to children, including various aspects related to self-control, the utility of robots in increasing the likelihood of self-imposed delay of gratification remains to be explored. Using a single-case experimental design, the present study exposed 24 preschoolers to three experimental conditions where a choice was provided between an immediately available reward and a delayed but larger reward. The likelihood of waiting increased over sessions when children were simply asked to wait, but waiting times did not increase further during a condition where teachers offered activities as a distraction. However, when children were exposed to robots and given the opportunity to interact with them, waiting times for the majority of children increased with medium to large effect sizes. Given the positive implications of strong executive function, how it might be increased in children in which it is lacking, limited, or in the process of developing, is of considerable import. This study highlights the effectiveness of robots as a distractor during waiting times and outlines a potential new application of robots in educational contexts.
India is the second largest country in the world in terms of population and thus a considerable market for potential future robot applications as well as a location for manufacturing and production. While work has started to explore attitudes towards robots, very little is known about the perceptions of robots in India, particularly of political leaders who have the ability to effect rapid change. The present study administered the 30-item Frankenstein Syndrome Questionnaire to 31 Lok Sabha (Lower House) and Rajya Sabah (Upper House) members of the Indian Parliament (MPs) as well as doctors (n = 94), medical students (n = 493), and engineering students (n = 1104) for comparative purposes. Because no information had been available about the psychometric properties of the scale for use in India, a prior Rasch analysis explored the suitability of the commonly used five-factor model. The five subscales did not possess sufficient reliability, and a more psychometrically robust 26-item two-factor model (positive and negative attitudes) was utilized instead. The results revealed a higher degree of positive attitudes in MPs and doctors as compared to the two student groups. Negative attitudes, on the other hand, were strongest in doctors, followed by students. MPs had significantly less negative views compared to all other comparison groups. This study provides valuable insights into attitudes towards robots in India. In general, MPs appear to have more favourable views than comparison groups in India. A slightly shorter and more parsimonious version of the Frankenstein Syndrome Questionnaire has now also been proposed, with improved psychometric properties.
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