3-216 - Causes and Correlates of Anthropomorphism

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Anthropomorphism, the tendency to attribute human internal states to non-human entities, is evident throughout the lifespan. Its ubiquity suggests that anthropomorphism may represent an underlying cognitive bias, yet it manifests differently across development and between individuals. We know surprisingly little about the factors that contribute to variation in anthropomorphic beliefs in children. The goal of this symposium is bring together research that examines three levels of factors – individual, cultural, and entity attributes – that may correspond with and contribute to anthropomorphism.

The first paper examines whether individual differences in theory of mind relates to anthropomorphism. The results indicate that accuracy on the ‘Reading the mind in the Eyes’ task is positively associated with anthropomorphism of animals, but negatively associated with anthropomorphism of technology and nature. The second paper investigates cross-cultural variation in anthropomorphism between Chinese and North American children. While similar developmental patterns exist, culture predicted anthropomorphism with Chinese children endorsing anthropomorphic beliefs more than North American children. The final paper focuses on entity attributes by manipulating whether a humanoid robot interacted autonomously or by remote control. Children attributed higher levels of agency (but not sentience) and moral accountability to the autonomous robot.

Collectively these papers suggest that anthropomorphism is sensitive to social cognitive, cultural, and entity factors. Our discussant, an expert in children’s conceptual development, will contextualize this work within developmental literature and theory, as well as provide suggestions for the most fruitful directions for future research on anthropomorphism.

Sub Unit

• Cognitive Processes

Chair

• Rachel Severson, University of British Columbia

Discussant

• Sandra R Waxman, Northwestern University

Individual Presentations

• The ‘Eyes’ Have It: Accuracy in reading minds in human eyes relates to a proclivity to see minds in non-human animals - Presenting Author: Adam Baimel, University of British Columbia; Rachel Severson, University of British Columbia; Susan A J Birch, Univ of British Columbia

• Cultural Contributions to Anthropomorphic Beliefs - Presenting Author: Rachel Severson, University of British Columbia; Hui Li, Central China Normal University; Angeline Lillard, Univ of Virginia

• Children’s attributions of psychological traits and moral status to a humanoid robot - Presenting Author: Gabriel Lopez-Mobilia, University of Texas at Austin; Jacqueline D Woolley, University of Texas at Austin