Mixed evidence of a Moral Mind Heuristic in Zero-History HRI: The (Unstable) Concomitance of Mind, Morality, and Trust Judgments

Abstract

Extant research offers piecemeal evidence of the operation of a moral mind heuristic (MMH)—a shorthanded judgment in which covarying mental, moral, and trustworthiness judgments emerge under zero-history, morally neutral exposures to humanoid robots. Three criteria must be met for such an operation: Concomitance (unordered co-activation of judgments), varied accessibility (salience can be primed), and biasing effects (drives more positive perceptions). Study 1 confirms concomitance. Study 2 confirms accessibility and effects. Study 3 replicates Study 2 an in-person robot exposure, however the MMH construct became unstable.