Impact of Telepresence Robots on Students’ Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Intrinsic Motivation in Higher Education

Telepresence robots represent a comparatively little considered possibility for the realization of hybrid teaching. These robots enable students to participate remotely in classroom activities by offering a mobile platform for video conferencing. Researchers have argued that their use fosters a sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. However, this claim has not yet been adequately investigated. Based on self-determination theory, our study investigated the impact of telepresence robots on the satisfaction of students’ psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as well as their intrinsic motivation. In a 1 × 3-factorial within-subjects design, 36 psychology students attended one seminar session via telepresence robot, another via 360-degree camera (control condition), and participated in person during the remaining sessions. Following each session, students’ basic psychological needs satisfaction and intrinsic motivation were measured using an online questionnaire. A MANOVA showed significant differences between the three participation conditions in all three psychological needs. Students’ perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness were higher after participating via telepresence robot than via camera, but lower than after face-to-face participation. The students’ intrinsic motivation did not differ between the two technology conditions. These findings suggest that the choice of digital tools in educational settings significantly affects students’ satisfaction of basic psychological needs.