ABSTRACT
Should a caregiver be present during an interaction of young children with a social robot? In this chapter and based on research on social referencing, the question is raised of whether children seek contact with their caregivers when interpreting the ongoing interactions with a social robot. In the study, in which the caregivers were present in the room and available for the children, it was found that input was not required, and that 4- to 5-year-old children were well able to interact with a robot (NAO) on their own. Only a few children turned to their caregivers and requested for help explicitly in technically caused communicative breakdowns. Analyzing the way the support was provided, it was found that caregivers’ strategies aimed at promoting children’s active behavior and informed about how to cope with the stage of interaction. Children were given concrete explanations and instructions on how to repair the interaction, or they were assured about their correct answer given to the robotic partner. This contribution kept the interaction going. A critical evaluation of the applied technology revealed that robots’ interaction capabilities are not yet adapted to a child’s multimodal way of communicating, and that interactions break down because of robotic failure.
