Positive and Negative Opinions About Living with Robots in Japanese University Students

Michiko Sakuma, Kiyomi Kuramochi, Nobutaka Shimada, Rie Ito

Abstract: This research used a questionnaire survey to examine the positive and negative opinions of Japanese university students about living with robots. The results show that the effect of educational background on the hope of living with a robot is statistically significant, that gender affects negative attitudes toward the social influence of robots, and that negative correlation between the hope of living with a robot and negative attitudes toward emotional interaction with robots is statistically significant. An exploratory qualitative classification reveals that most Japanese undergraduates hold the negative opinion that they have no need to live with robots because they are not alone.