The application of anthropomorphic design features is widely assumed to facilitate human-robot interaction (HRI). However, a considerable number of study results point in the opposite direction. There is currently no comprehensive common ground on the circumstances under which anthropomorphism promotes interaction with robots. Our meta-analysis aims to close this gap. A total of 4856 abstracts were scanned. After an extensive evaluation, 78 studies involving around 6000 participants and 187 effect sizes were included in this meta-analysis. The majority of the studies addressed effects on perceptual aspects of robots. In addition, effects on attitudinal, affective, and behavioral aspects were also investigated. Overall, a medium positive effect size was found, indicating a beneficial effect of anthropomorphic design features on human-related outcomes. However, closer scrutiny of the lowest variable level revealed no positive effect for perceived safety, empathy, and task performance. Moreover, the analysis suggests that positive effects of anthropomorphism depend heavily on various moderators. For example, anthropomorphism was in contrast to other fields of application, constantly facilitating social HRI. The results of this analysis provide insights into how design features can be used to improve the quality of HRI. Moreover, they reveal areas in which more research is needed before any clear conclusions about the effects of anthropomorphic robot design can be drawn.

中文翻译：

---

拟人化在人机交互中有效性的荟萃分析

拟人化设计特征的应用被广泛认为是为了促进人机交互（HRI）。然而，相当多的研究结果指向相反的方向。目前，关于拟人化促进与机器人交互的情况，目前还没有全面的共同点。我们的荟萃分析旨在缩小这一差距。共扫描了 4856 篇摘要。经过广泛评估，这项荟萃分析纳入了 78 项研究，涉及约 6000 名参与者和 187 个效应量。大多数研究都涉及对机器人感知方面的影响。此外，还研究了对态度、情感和行为方面的影响。总体而言，发现中等积极效应大小，表明拟人化设计特征对人类相关结果的有益影响。然而，对最低变量水平的仔细审查表明，对感知安全、同理心和任务绩效没有积极影响。此外，分析表明拟人化的积极影响在很大程度上取决于各种调节因素。例如，拟人化与其他应用领域形成鲜明对比，不断促进社会 HRI。该分析的结果提供了有关如何使用设计特征来提高 HRI 质量的见解。此外，它们揭示了在得出关于拟人机器人设计效果的任何明确结论之前需要进行更多研究的领域。此外，分析表明拟人化的积极影响在很大程度上取决于各种调节因素。例如，拟人化与其他应用领域形成鲜明对比，不断促进社会 HRI。该分析的结果提供了有关如何使用设计特征来提高 HRI 质量的见解。此外，它们揭示了在得出关于拟人机器人设计效果的任何明确结论之前需要进行更多研究的领域。此外，分析表明拟人化的积极影响在很大程度上取决于各种调节因素。例如，拟人化与其他应用领域形成鲜明对比，不断促进社会 HRI。该分析的结果提供了有关如何使用设计特征来提高 HRI 质量的见解。此外，它们揭示了在得出关于拟人机器人设计效果的任何明确结论之前需要进行更多研究的领域。