Impact of Conversational Approaches in Pediatric Social Robot-Mediated Interventions

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Robot-Mediated Emotional Support Activity: 10-15 minute structured activity focusing on emotional recognition, expression, and regulation through storytelling, discussion, and artistic activities (drawing, physical expression) with the LIKU social robot

Robot-Mediated Safety Education Activity: 10-15 minute structured activity focusing on safety awareness and emergency response behaviors through educational videos, discussions, and hands-on activities (crafts, physical practice) with the LIKU social robot

Study summary

This study examines how different robot dialogue systems (rule-based vs. large language model-based) and content types (emotional support vs. safety education) affect pediatric patients' responses during hospital-based robot-mediated interventions.

Approximately 60 pediatric patients aged 2-9 years will be randomly assigned to interact with a social robot (LIKU) using either rule-based or LLM-based dialogue. Each child will participate in two activity sessions (emotional content and safety content) in randomized order.

Primary outcomes include child engagement, emotional responses, robot perception, and activity preferences, assessed through standardized questionnaires (UEQ, Godspeed), child interviews, and behavioral observations. Additionally, 5 experts will evaluate content appropriateness and safety.

This pilot study aims to provide foundational data for developing personalized pediatric robot programs in hospital settings, optimizing both dialogue approaches and content design based on individual child characteristics.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Child Engagement Level — Immediately following each intervention session (assessed within 1 hour post-session)
  Behavioral observation checklist assessing attention to robot, participation in activities, and task involvement. Scored by trained observers using standardized coding scheme based on video recordings.
• User Experience — Immediately following each intervention session (approximately 5 minutes post-session)
  User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ) - standardized 7-point semantic differential scale measuring six dimensions: attractiveness, perspicuity, efficiency, dependability, stimulation, and novelty of robot interaction.
• Robot Perception — Immediately following each intervention session (approximately 5 minutes post-session)
  Godspeed Questionnaire Series - standardized scale measuring five dimensions of robot perception: anthropomorphism, animacy, likeability, perceived intelligence, and perceived safety.

Trial sites (1)

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