Should Social Robots for Elderly Care Resemble Cute Animals? Findings from a Pilot Survey Study

Robotic pets may offer a valuable alternative to animal-assisted interventions in long term care, avoiding issues such as animal welfare concerns, and the burden of pet care. Pet-robots’ benefits include aspects like hygiene, and 24/7 availability. However, little is known about which features of pet-robots contribute to their acceptance in care.<br/>This pilot study examined the acceptance of robots using the images of Aibo (a dog-like robot), Spot (an industrial-looking robotic dog), and Zora (a humanoid robot). 200 participants (M age = 46, SD = 16; 42% male; 28% professional caregivers; 12% family caregivers; 2% care recipients) were randomly assigned to evaluate images of two of the three robots in one of three imagined contexts: at home, in a nursing home, or with no specified setting. The questionnaire, based on the Cognitive–Affective–Conative (CAC) framework, assessed perceptions, emotional responses, and intended use. The statistics accounted for age, general robot attitudes (NARS), and context.<br/>Results showed that Aibo and Zora were rated significantly more positively than Spot. Aibo was seen as cuter and more amiable, while Zora scored higher on autonomous behavior and interactivity. Spot consistently received the lowest acceptance scores, likely due to its mechanical appearance. No significant differences were found across contexts, suggesting that robot features outweigh situational factors in shaping acceptance.<br/>More research is needed to compare a wide variation of existing and non-existing pet-robots. This may offer a meaningful and ethically sound form of companionship in long-term care when real animals cannot be considered. <br/>