Abstract
Connecting philosophical and psychological theories on meaning to theories and findings on the real-world influence of fictional stories, the authors argue that science fiction provides meaning for otherwise disconcerting new technologies. An experiment with two points of measurement was conducted. After watching a full-length movie with a humanoid robot in a main role (vs. a control film condition), participants had a clearer understanding of humanoids. This, in turn, was related to a stronger link between the concept of humanoid robots and the self, which predicted a higher willingness to buy or use humanoid robot technology. The results remained stable after a 2-week postexposure delay. Implications regarding the meaning-generating function of fiction, science fiction, and humanoid robots are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 472-480 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2016 |
Fields of science
- 102013 Human-computer interaction
- 501002 Applied psychology
- 501012 Media psychology
- 202035 Robotics
JKU Focus areas
- Digital Transformation