Investigating Objective and Subjective Social Exclusion in a Group Conversation Led by a Robot

This study investigates ostracism-based social exclusion in multi-person interactions with robots. To examine this phenomenon, we will conduct a laboratory study in which participants engage in a simulated job interview with the robot Ameca acting as the interviewer. The study compares objective exclusion (measured by the proportion of the robot's attention directed toward each participant) and subjective exclusion (participants' self-reported feelings of being ignored or excluded). We aim to identify the point at which objective exclusion leads to subjective feelings of exclusion and how this impact need fulfillment. After the interview, participants are allowed to stand somewhere else and are asked why they chose the same or a different standing position. Exploratory analyses will examine whether factors such as gender, height, or physical position (angle) relative to the robot influence the actual or assumed likelihood of being excluded.