Are Black Robots Like Black People? Examining How Negative Stigmas about Race Are Applied to Robots

Louine, J. L., May, D., Carruth, D. W., Bethel, C. L., Strawderman, L., & Usher, J. (2018). Are Black Robots Like Black People? Examining How Negative Stigmas about Race Are Applied to Robots. Sociological Inquiry. Wiley Online Publishers. 88(4), 626-648. DOI:10.1111/soin.12230.

Abstract

Recent scholarly research has begun to examine human perceptions toward robots. Researchers have also demonstrated that humans make decisions about individuals based on skin color. However, scant research examines the perceptions that individuals have toward robots of certain colors or whether these perceptions, both negative and positive, are predicted by demographic and contextual factors of either humans or robots. Using data from 504 adults responding to robots in separate scenarios across two surveys, we explore whether robot color has an impact on the human's perception of that robot. Respondents were presented with pictures of black, yellow, and neutral‐colored robots and were asked to indicate their perceptions of the robots along a number of dimensions or were asked to indicate how they would react to the robot were they to encounter the robots in their daily activities. Findings suggest that (1) black robots were viewed as significantly stronger than yellow robots; (2) yellow robots were viewed as significantly more affable than black and neutral robots; and (3) respondents were more likely to move away from black robots (and less likely to stop when encountering black robots) than robots of other colors. Possible explanations and implications for these findings are also discussed.