Robot-Mediated Inclusive Processes in Groups of Children: From Gaze Aversion to Mutual Smiling Gaze
Open accessAbstract
Our work is motivated by the idea that social robots can help inclusive processes in groups of children, focusing on the case of children who have newly arrived from a foreign country and their peers at school. Building on an initial study where we tested different robot behaviours and recorded children’s interactions mediated by a robot in a game, we present in this paper the findings from a subsequent analysis of the same video data drawing from ethnomethodology and conversation analysis. We describe how this approach differs from predominantly quantitative video analysis in HRI; how mutual gaze appeared as a challenging interactional accomplishment between unacquainted children, and why we focused on this phenomenon. We identify two situations and trajectories in which children make eye contact: asking for or giving instructions, and sharing an emotional reaction. Based on detailed analyses of a selection of extracts in the empirical section, we describe patterns and discuss the links between the different situations and trajectories, and relationship building. Our findings inform HRI and robot design by identifying complex interactional accomplishments between two children, as well as group dynamics which support these interactions. We argue that social robots should be able to perceive such phenomena in order to better support inclusion of outgroup children. Lastly, by explaining how we combined approaches and showing how they build on each other, we also hope to demonstrate the value of interdisciplinary research, and encourage it.
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Robots can facilitate mutual gaze and smiling between (unacquainted) children.
“robots can facilitate mutual gaze and smiling between (unacquainted) children (Tuncer et al. 2022)”
From AI in situated action: a scoping review of ethnomethodological and conversation analytic studies (2025) · cites this paper as Tuncer et al. 2022
Gaze and smile patterns occur between unacquainted children when interacting with a robot.
“gaze and smile patterns between unacquainted children when interacting with a robot, Tuncer et al. 2022”
From AI in situated action: a scoping review of ethnomethodological and conversation analytic studies (2025) · cites this paper as Tuncer et al. 2022
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- Authors
- Tuncer, S., Gillet, S., & Leite, I.
- Affiliations
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Tuncer, Sylvaine
- Venue
- Frontiers in Robotics and AI
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media SA
- Published
- 2022-03-03
- Volume
- 9
- Pages
- 729146-729146
- ISSN
- 2296-9144 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC8927292
- OpenAlex
- W4214885931
- Cited by
- 26
- References
- 48
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3
- FWCI
- 5.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Frontiers in Robotics and AI (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Social Robot Interaction and HRI
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies
- Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Speech and dialogue systems
- Keywords
- social robots, inclusive education, mutual gaze, eye contact, peer interaction, relationship building, group dynamics, emotional sharing, robot design, ethnomethodology, conversation analysis
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