In an era where the line between science fiction and technological reality increasingly blurs, the prospect of forming bonds with robots has transitioned from the realm of speculative fiction into a topic of serious academic inquiry. A recent study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships offers new insights into how beliefs about social hierarchy and gender norms may influence interest in relationships with robots. The findings indicate that men who endorse negative and antagonistic attitudes towards women demonstrate a significantly greater interest in robosexuality, or engaging in sexual relationships with robots.
The researchers embarked on this study against a backdrop of rapidly advancing robotic technology and an increasing presence of human-like robots in various sectors of society—from hospitality to personal companionship. This surge in human-robot interaction has sparked a curiosity about the nature and depth of relationships humans can form with robots. However, despite these developments, there remained a significant gap in understanding the psychological underpinnings that might predispose individuals to seek out and maintain these unconventional relationships.
“My interest in this topic began with media like Futurama (specifically an episode where people can download celebrity partners) and films like Her (2013) and Ex Machina (2016), which were kind of the first movies to postulate positive relationships with robots (with limitations). I found the idea of these robotic partners fascinating, and this drew me to consider how other people viewed these relationships,” said study author Connor Leshner, a PhD student at Trent University in Ontario.
Leshner and his co-author, Jessica R. Johnson, was particularly interested in how individuals’ beliefs about social hierarchy and their attitudes toward in-group versus out-group members could influence their interest in developing friendships or sexual relationships with robots. By addressing this gap, the study aimed to shed light on the complex interplay between societal norms, personal beliefs, and the burgeoning field of human-robot relationships.
The study included 223 undergraduate students from a western Canadian university, focusing on those over 18, fluent in English, and excluding individuals who identified as transgender or gender non-conforming due to insufficient comparative numbers. Participants were presented with hypothetical scenarios involving friendship and sexual relationships with robots, asking them to express their level of agreement or disagreement with potential interactions on these fronts.
The researchers observed significant gender differences in the responses. Men, on average, displayed a greater interest in robosexuality—forming sexual relationships with robots—than women. This difference suggests a gendered perspective on the role and function of robots in fulfilling human emotional or physical needs.
Interestingly, the study highlights the role of hostile sexism (a form of sexism characterized by antagonistic attitudes towards women) as a predictor of men’s interest in robosexuality. Men who exhibited higher levels of hostile sexism were more inclined to view robots as potential sexual partners.
“Generally, people find sex robots relatively unappealing, but men far and away are more interested in them than women, and this is especially stark when men view women as below them,” Leshner told PsyPost.
Women, conversely, showed a higher interest in robofriendship, or the prospect of forming platonic relationships with robots. This distinction underscores the varied ways in which men and women perceive and interact with technology, particularly when it embodies human-like characteristics.
“Robots for friendship, especially in an era where AI can simulate human speech fairly well, may be coming sooner than one thinks,” Leshner said. “There’s much less stigma associated with robots as friends (compared to the above), and both men and women find the prospect at least somewhat agreeable — although women more so. If there’s enough of an appetite for it in the market, then someone is going to make it happen.”
“You’ll be able to learn a lot about someone based on how they treat their robot—not everyone will treat them poorly, but if they do, how would they treat people they view as below them?”
The researchers also explored the influence of social dominance orientation on interest in robotic relationships. Social dominance orientation describes an individual’s preference for hierarchical intergroup relations. At lower levels of social dominance, men were more interested in sexual relationships with robots compared to women, but this gender difference disappeared at higher levels of social dominance.
“In the study, we see gender differences around people who believe in equality, such that equality beliefs predict greater interest in sex robots for men, and greater interest in robots for friendship in women. We expected this from the jump,” Leshner explained.
“What surprised us was that these differences completely disappeared when equality beliefs were low, such that believing your group is better (however one defines ‘my group’) predicts no gender difference between interest in sex or friendship with robots. This interplay between equality and gender deserves more focus and scrutiny to continue developing theories.”
Another surprising outcome was the negative correlation between sociosexual orientation and robosexuality. Individuals with a more unrestricted sociosexual orientation, who are generally more open to casual sex, showed less interest in sexual relationships with robots.
This finding contradicts the expectation that individuals with a more unrestricted sociosexual orientation would be more open to the idea of sexual relations with robots. Instead, it indicates that a predisposition towards casual sex with humans does not necessarily extend to a willingness to engage in sexual activities with robots.
However, the study is not without its limitations. The sample size and demographic composition pose challenges to the generalizability of the findings, underscoring the need for future research with more diverse populations. Additionally, the reliance on self-reported measures and the hypothetical nature of the study may impact the accuracy and applicability of the results.
“The sample is relatively small for any major takeaways, and we did not target as diverse a sample as we could have,” Leshner said. “This study could, and should, be replicated on a larger scale before any policy or ethical implications are considered.”
Despite these limitations, the study opens new avenues for exploration, particularly in understanding the ethical, moral, and societal implications of integrating robots into our daily lives and personal spaces.
“I love studying these relationships with created and virtual partners, and I am currently writing manuscripts to compliment these findings on waifus (parasocial relationships with characters in media), and comparisons between hentai (drawn/animated erotica) and mainstream erotica,” Leshner told PsyPost. “Technology influences us in so many ways, and with advances in things like AI and VR, it feels like we are at a crossroads for how the future of human relationships and sex will develop.”
“I’d like to one day get to a point where I am studying relationships with fictional partners in VR and how these compare to relationships in real life. I view VR as the next frontier in emerging technology, and wonder if these fictional relationships can provide the same need satisfaction and support as relationships in real life for the average person.”
“Relationships will continue to evolve as technology makes the virtual world more real, and we shouldn’t be concerned about or dislike those who choose alternative paths for relationships,” Leshner added. “People who prefer in-person connection will still choose that, and people who prefer connection with robots or fictional partners, platonic or otherwise, will choose that when the technology is agreeable to them. Whether the numbers of people with robot preferences shifts from .00001% to 1%, or even 10%, as long as their needs are met, and they engage with the technology ethically, I prefer to let them be happy.”
The study, “Technically in love: Individual differences relating to sexual and platonic relationships with robots,” was first published online on February 19, 2024.