Can I Trust You? A User Study of Robot Mediation of a Support Group

Socially assistive robots have the potential to improve group dynamics when interacting with groups of people in social settings. This work contributes to the understanding of those dynamics through a user study of trust dynamics in the novel context of a robot mediated support group. For this study, a novel framework for robot mediation of a support group was developed and validated. To evaluate interpersonal trust in the multi-party setting, a dyadic trust scale was implemented and found to be uni-factorial, validating it as an appropriate measure of general trust. The results of this study demonstrate a significant increase in average interpersonal trust after the group interaction session, and qualitative post-session interview data report that participants found the interaction helpful and successfully supported and learned from one other. The results of the study validate that a robot-mediated support group can improve trust among strangers and allow them to share and receive support for their academic stress.