Yes, your robot has anxiety - Perception and social effects of robot with anxious behavior

Abstract

Emotions are central to social communication and can motivate prosocial behavior— actions such as empathy, support, and cooperation that benefit others. In Human–Robot Interaction (HRI), negative emotions have been shown to elicit such responses, but anxiety remains largely unexplored. This study investigates how expressions of anxiety in robots are perceived and whether they can elicit prosocial responses. We developed a multi-modal anxiety expression using facial action units and context-specific linguistic cues, implemented in a collaborative task where participants interacted with either an anxious or neutral robot. The robot experienced escalating errors and verbally expressed concern about hindering progress. Results show that the anxious robot was perceived as more anxious, evoked greater empathy, and prompted more supportive behavior. However, these effects were shaped by task context and user expectations. These findings advance understanding of anxiety in HRI and highlight the importance of situational appropriateness in designing emotionally expressive robots.