Social Responses to Machines

Technological advances increasingly blur the lines between mechanical and human-like interactions and this chapter explores the nature of human social responses to machines. First, social interaction and machines is defined and conceptualized, emphasizing that machines need not resemble humans to elicit social responses. Early foundational demonstrating that humans routinely and automatically apply social norms to machines, even those lacking explicit social cues, is discussed. Next, more recent scholarship suggesting a shift toward machine-specific social scripts is reviewed. The chapter then discusses theoretical frameworks that suggest unique beliefs and stereotypes about machines that humans hold. This dual influence – both human-like and machine-specific responses – creates a complex psychological and ontological “in-between” space for machines, posing challenges for understanding and predicting human-machine relationships. Finally, the chapter considers mind perception research on how humans attribute cognitive and moral capacities to machines. Collectively, this chapter highlights how evolving technologies continuously reshape human perceptions of sociality, agency, and the boundaries that distinguish humans from machines.