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The Effectiveness of Social Robots in Stress Management Interventions for University Students

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Social Robotics (ICSR 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 14453 ))

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Abstract

Stress affects many students, leaving them vulnerable to burnout. Social robots can provide personalized and non-judgmental support for individuals to engage in behavioral and cognitive therapy. This study investigated the effectiveness of a robot-assisted stress management intervention in reducing stress among university students. In a between-subjects design, students practiced a deep breathing exercise, either guided by a Pepper robot or using a laptop. To evaluate the effect of each technology, Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) survey were collected. The results from PSQ and GSR showed no difference between the two technologies in reducing stress subjectively and physiologically. However, UTAUT reports indicated that participants in the Robot group were more inclined to use the robot in future practices, and that a more positive impression of the robot contributed to a stronger reduction of their self-reported stress levels.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tilburg University, Tilburg, 5037 AB, The Netherlands

    Andra Rice, Katarzyna Klęczek & Maryam Alimardani

Authors
  1. Andra Rice
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  2. Katarzyna Klęczek
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  3. Maryam Alimardani
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andra Rice .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

    Abdulaziz Al Ali

  2. Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

    John-John Cabibihan

  3. Qatar University, Doha, Qatar

    Nader Meskin

  4. University of Naples Federico II, Napoli, Italy

    Silvia Rossi

  5. Qingdao University, Qingdao, China

    Wanyue Jiang

  6. The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    Hongsheng He

  7. National University of Singapore, Queenstown, Singapore

    Shuzhi Sam Ge

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© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

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Rice, A., Klęczek, K., Alimardani, M. (2024). The Effectiveness of Social Robots in Stress Management Interventions for University Students. In: Ali, A.A., et al. Social Robotics. ICSR 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 14453 . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8715-3_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8715-3_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-99-8714-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-99-8715-3

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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