Power in Human-Robot Interaction

Power is a fundamental determinant of social life, yet it remains elusive in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). This paper unveils power’s pervasive but largely unexplored role in HRI by systematically investigating its varied manifestations across HRI literature. We first introduce definitions of power and then delve into the existing HRI literature through a lens of power, examining studies that directly address power and those exploring power-related social configurations and concepts such as authority, dominance, and status. Leveraging Fiske and Berdahl’s model and French and Raven’s bases of power framework, we also explore the nuances of power in many HRI studies where power is not explicitly addressed. Finally, we propose power as a core concept to advance HRI—explaining fragmented existing findings through a coherent theory and delineating a cohesive theoretical trajectory for future investigations.CCS CONCEPTS• Human-centered computing;

1 INTRODUCTION

Power permeates the structure and context of the social world we live in. As such it is arguably the most influential factor in social interaction. Bertrand Russell famously stated, "The fundamental concept in social science is Power in the same sense in which Energy is the fundamental concept in physics." [162] Despite occupying such a critical position in social interaction, power has yet to receive much discussion in the field of Human-Robot Interaction (HRI).