Key Points
- Study involved children ages eight to eleven reading short stories aloud.
- Three conditions tested: reading alone, to a human adult, and to a social robot named Misty.
- Physiological measures (voice steadiness, heart rate, facial temperature) showed reduced anxiety with the robot.
- Comprehension scores remained unchanged across all conditions.
- Students described the robot as a less‑judgmental, low‑pressure audience.
- Findings indicate robots could serve as emotional buffers in classroom settings.
- Further research is needed to assess long‑term effects on confidence and learning.
Background and Purpose
Reading aloud in front of peers can trigger nervousness in many children, potentially hampering confidence and performance. To explore whether a non‑human audience could alleviate this stress, researchers conducted a study with children aged eight to eleven. The investigation compared three reading conditions: solo reading, reading to a human adult, and reading to a social robot named Misty.
Methodology
Participants read short stories while researchers recorded physiological indicators of anxiety, including voice steadiness, heart rate, and facial temperature. These objective measures were used instead of self‑reported feelings, which children may understate. The study aimed to see if the presence of a robot would produce calmer physiological responses.
Key Findings
The data showed that children exhibited fewer signs of anxiety when reading to the robot. Their voices were steadier, heart rates lower, and facial temperatures cooler compared with the human‑adult condition. Despite the reduced stress, comprehension scores remained consistent across all three settings, indicating that the robot’s calming effect did not diminish learning.
Students described the robot as “cute,” “fun,” and “a less stressful audience.” One participant noted that the robot could not feel angry, which lessened the fear of judgment. While not every child liked the robot’s mechanical voice or expressionless face, the majority preferred it over a human listener for its perceived lack of emotional reaction.
Implications
The findings suggest that social robots could function as emotional buffers in educational environments, offering a low‑pressure platform for children to practice reading aloud and other speaking tasks. By reducing anxiety without compromising comprehension, robots may help students develop confidence in situations that typically provoke nervousness.
Limitations and Future Directions
The study focused on short reading exercises and measured immediate physiological responses. Further research is needed to determine whether prolonged exposure to robot audiences can produce lasting improvements in reading confidence or broader academic outcomes.
Source: cnet.com