Social Robotics is Not (just) about Machines, It is about People: Psychology's Role in Developing Social Machines

Social robotics is a rapidly advancing field dedicated to the development of embodied artificial agents capable of social interaction with humans. These systems are deployed across domains such as health care, education, service, and entertainment-contexts that demand nuanced social competence. Yet, the social dimension of social robotics remains insufficiently conceptualized and empirically grounded. Many companies have failed as their robots struggle to sustain meaningful, long-term engagement with users. Understanding human responses to these agents requires robust psychological frameworks. While prior work has emphasized emotion expression and affective cues, human social interaction is shaped by broader constructs, including individual goals and roles, self-presentation, and culture. Generative artificial intelligence is reshaping human-robot interaction but has yet to resolve foundational challenges in social engagement. Addressing these gaps necessitates deeper integration of psychological theory, methodology, and data. A sustained dialogue between psychology and robotics holds promise not only for advancing socially adept machines but also for enriching psychological science itself.