APS
2026 APS Annual Convention
Minds, Machines, and Learning: How Children Reason about and Learn from Social Robots
This symposium examines how children conceptualize and learn from social robots. Across experimental and applied studies, we show that children attribute mental states to robots, integrate social and epistemic cues when deciding whom to trust, and successfully learn from robotic tutors. These findings clarify how artificial agents become social partners.
Chairs & Discussants
- Diane Poulin-DuboisChair
Concordia University
Presentations
- Children Apply Theory of Mind to Social RobotsElizabeth Goldman, Anna-Elisabeth Baumann, Harry Meister, Diane Poulin-Dubois
- Social Priming Enhances Young Children’s Trust In RobotsMargherita Magnini, Antonella Marchetti, Davide Massaro
- Young Children Successfully Learn Second-Language Vocabulary from Robot TutorsAylin Küntay