Human Autonomy and Sense of Agency in Human-Robot Interaction: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract Both human autonomy and agency are core human values and foundational to well-being. Their uses and definitions are intertwined and are central to current ethical and governance discourses on artificial intelligence and cyber-physical systems (e.g., the EU AI Act and IEEE Ethically Aligned Design). This review synthesises empirical studies on human autonomy and sense of agency in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) to bridge the gap between existing design frameworks and regulatory demands on the one hand and the available empirical evidence on the other. Using the PRISMA workflow, we queried five databases and identified 22 empirical studies published between 2011 and early 2024. Across both concepts, separate methodological strands emerged: Self-determination theory-based measures of autonomy via psychometric scales and neuroscientific measures of agency, primarily intentional binding, with little integrative work bridging the two. A thematic synthesis identified five clusters of potentially influential factors: robot adaptiveness, robot communication, robot anthropomorphism, exposure to robots, and individual differences. Evidence for the direction of effects varied across contexts, including education, health and care, industry, hospitality, delivery, and general social robotics. Mapping the findings onto the METUX framework showed that current work predominantly targets the interface and task spheres. The adoption, behaviour, life, and society spheres are largely unexamined, limiting understanding of longer-term, real-world impacts on well-being. We recommend integrating autonomy and agency paradigms in study designs for a more nuanced understanding of both concepts, standardising definitions and instruments, probing moderating user traits beyond demographics, and extending evaluations beyond short laboratory tasks into longitudinal, real-world settings. These steps could help advance autonomy-supportive robot design strategies that uphold ethical and psychological principles and foster user well-being in HRI.