Playing with human-like machines activates areas of the brain related to the attribution of intentions and desires to others, a team of German researchers reports in a study published today in the journal PLoS ONE.
To study how people perceive humanoid machines and attribute mental qualities to them, a team led by Sören Krach from the RWTH Aachen University, in Germany, observed the brain activity of a group of 20 subjects while they played a computer game against increasingly human-like machines—a regular computer notebook, a Lego-robot and a humanoid robot—and finally, against another person.
The results showed that neural activity in two areas of the brain related to mental attribution increased in parallel to how closely the gaming partner resembled a person. The subjects also reported they enjoyed the game most when their opponent looked most like humans—and they thought those gaming partners were the most intelligent, too.—Maria José Viñas
Developing online and blended learning programs requires research and collaboration. Learn how top technology companies are partnering with campuses across the country to advance online learning as it becomes an increasingly important aspect of higher education.