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Research on gender role stereotypes activated in interactions with humanoid robots has yet to produce conclusive knowledge. To analyse how much, and in which way, gender role stereotypes used in interactions with humans are also called into play in interactions with humanoid robots, a study was conducted with 240 participants. The study was an online survey in which a scale was used for determining the appropriateness for performing four stereotypically masculine and four feminine by humans and robots. Overall, eight humanoid robots – four judged feminine and four masculine – were considered. Results showed that gender role stereotypes are activated for both genders, but men most strongly activate those pertaining to male roles. These stereotypes are also adopted in reference to humanoid robots, though robots are generally considered less suitable for performing female roles. Furthermore, an increased degree of similarity of robots to humans has a positive effect in assessing the appropriateness to perform female roles only for female robots. The same does not happen with male robots. These results suggest that male and female robots are not categorised in the same way. Robots are essentially perceived as male entities, a particularly relevant hypothesis for the gender-sensitive design of humanoid robots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study traces the evolution of perceptions and use of computed tomography (CT) by radiology technicians in the emergency department (ED) of a hospital in Italy across a 7-year period.Background: The sociotechnical context of the CT room of an ED has been neglected by scientific research-potentially impacting safety.Method: Two studies were performed, one in 2011 and one in 2018. Six CT technicians were involved in each. Structured interviews were performed to gather information on perceptions related to the evolution of the use of CT according to nine different factors-e.g. the level of complexity, and mental workload. Observations were performed on duration of exams, the flow of people, conversations, and any critical issues.Results: The CT technology is appreciated, used effectively and with confidence by CT technicians. From 2011-2018, the execution times of the exams have decreased but not the proportion of time dedicated to the patient. Expectations for future improvements are limited by issues concerning the design of both the user interface and the social context of the ED workplace.Conclusions: The safety and efficiency of the system as a whole are greatly dependent on the competence of the CT technicians. CT manufacturers rely on this competence to help compensate for the deficiencies created by suboptimal user interfaces and the lack of fit of the technology with the social context of the workplace.Application: Training programs aimed at improving the management of relationships and communications between staff could improve performance and efficiency. CT manufacturers should try to better understand the cognitive and operational context of the workplaces where CT technicians work-and to design better diagnostic technology which accounts for these operational realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a study about the role of different variables in the process of attributing mental states to technological systems, variables such as the number of figural elements displayed in the system and the personality traits of the subjects interacting with the systems. In an experiment, participants were interacting with a computer on whose screen several disks of various sizes and colours were blinking at different rates. Each time a disk reappeared on the screen its position was randomly varied. As in a videogame, participants had to click on the disks to increase their score. The results showed that, even in the case of such a simple system, subjects believed that the figural elements they were interacting with had some form of mental states, although their confidence in these beliefs varied in the different experimental conditions. The confidence level of the attributions, in fact, was not the same for all the different mental states considered, and it varied also both with the number of elements being displayed as well as with some personality traits of the subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]