Creating Social Connection Through Inferential Reproduction: Loneliness and Perceived Agency in Gadgets, Gods, and Greyhounds

Epley, Nicholas; Akalis, Scott; Waytz, Adam; Cacioppo, John T.

doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02056.x

Cited by 636Social Robot Interaction and HRIDeath Anxiety and Social ExclusionSocial and Intergroup Psychology

Creating Social Connection Through Inferential Reproduction: Loneliness and Perceived Agency in Gadgets, Gods, and Greyhounds

Epley, Nicholas, Akalis, Scott, Waytz, Adam, Cacioppo, John T.·2008·Psychological Science

DOI 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02056.x

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Abstract

People are motivated to maintain social connection with others, and those who lack social connection with other humans may try to compensate by creating a sense of human connection with nonhuman agents. This may occur in at least two ways—by anthropomorphizing nonhuman agents such as nonhuman animals and gadgets to make them appear more humanlike and by increasing belief in commonly anthropomorphized religious agents (such as God). Three studies support these hypotheses both among individuals who are chronically lonely (Study 1) and among those who are induced to feel lonely (Studies 2 and 3). Additional findings suggest that such results are not simply produced by any negative affective state (Study 3). These results have important implications not only for understanding when people are likely to treat nonhuman agents as humanlike (anthropomorphism), but also for understanding when people treat human agents as non-human (dehumanization).

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Authors: Epley, N., Akalis, S., Waytz, A., & Cacioppo, J. T.
Affiliations: University of Chicago
Harvard University (US)
University of Chicago (US)
ORCID: Waytz, Adam
Cacioppo, John T.
Venue: Psychological Science
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2008-02
Volume: 19
Issue: 2
Pages: 114-120
ISSN: 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
1467-9280
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02056.x
OpenAlex: W2107278406
Cited by: 632
References: 34
Citations by year: 2026: 38 · 2025: 41 · 2024: 46 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 44 · 2021: 54 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 30 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 37 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 24
FWCI: 29.88
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Social Robot Interaction and HRI
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
Keywords: social connectedness, loneliness, anthropomorphism, dehumanization, religious beliefs, non-human actors, gadgets, animals, negative affect, social motivation
MeSH terms: Adult, Female, Humans, Interpersonal Relations, Loneliness, Male, Motivation, Object Attachment, Surveys and Questionnaires, Religion and Psychology, Social Behavior

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Creating Social Connection Through Inferential Reproduction: Loneliness and Perceived Agency in Gadgets, Gods, and Greyhounds

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