Unveiling robotophobia and Cyber-dystopianism: The role of gender, technology and religion on attitudes towards robots

A survey of 873 undergraduate students was conducted to understand which individual factors affect subjects´ attitudes toward robots. A third of participants (N =284) were exposed to a humanoid robot, another third (N= 293) to a doggy robot, and the remaining third (N=296) to an android. Results showed that in the humanoid condition individuals recognize more humanlike characteristics in robots than in the other two conditions. However humanoid appearance did not affect participants´ attitudes toward robots, as others predictors recognized by previous research indicate, such as gender, religion, and perceived competence with information and communication technologies (ICT).