Social behaviours in dog-owner interactions can serve as a model for designing social robots

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamás Faragó ◽  
Ádám Miklósi ◽  
Beáta Korcsok ◽  
Judit Száraz ◽  
Márta Gácsi

It is essential for social robots to fit in the human society. In order to facilitate this process we propose to use the family dog’s social behaviour shown towards humans as an inspiration. In this study we explored dogs’ low level social monitoring in dog-human interactions and extracted individually consistent and context dependent behaviours in simple everyday social scenarios. We found that proximity seeking and tail wagging were most individually distinctive in dogs, while activity, orientation towards the owner, and exploration were dependent on the context and/or the activity of the owner. The functional analogues of these dog behaviours can be implemented in social robots of different embodiments in order to make them acceptable and more believable for humans. Keywords: dog-owner interaction; social robotics; low-level social monitoring; greeting behaviour; individually distinctive behaviours

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Akhilesh Pathak

While there is a never-ending tussle between ‘nature’ and ‘nurture’ over the share of influence each has on human behaviour, one could find an interesting way of looking at things from a psychological angle that takes into account not rational actions, rather it focusses on something that is often overlooked – ‘distractions’. The reason for such distractions could be many, all pointing towards one dominant fact that human society is a complex system with innumerable degrees of freedom. The limiting factor of human agency could be found in the form of language, an idea that was well articulated by Ludwig Wittgenstein.  A careful analysis of the development of human personality shows that what goes down as individual is scarcely so. Social institutions act as rationalizing agents that supply an identity to a new-born baby even before it is born. In a civilized society, most human interactions take place in three distinct settings for a growing individual – the family, the school and the economy or the world of professional employment. In the Parsonian scheme of society, especially social structure, there is a movement from particularistic to universalistic in terms of the nature of human interactions. The power of language acquisition which is natural to every human being does not equip one with the required vocabulary in order to facilitate interactions. It is learnt through interactions over a period of time. It is through language that one develops a particular world view. But the process should not be seen as a smooth, streamlined process. There are ‘chaotic’, noise-like disturbances called ‘distractions’. This paper looks to analyze some of the positive and negative aspects of the phenomenon that go into shaping human personality.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Penny Spikins ◽  
Jennifer C. French ◽  
Seren John-Wood ◽  
Calvin Dytham

AbstractArchaeological evidence suggests that important shifts were taking place in the character of human social behaviours 300,000 to 30,000 years ago. New artefact types appear and are disseminated with greater frequency. Transfers of both raw materials and finished artefacts take place over increasing distances, implying larger scales of regional mobility and more frequent and friendlier interactions between different communities. Whilst these changes occur during a period of increasing environmental variability, the relationship between ecological changes and transformations in social behaviours is elusive. Here, we explore a possible theoretical approach and methodology for understanding how ecological contexts can influence selection pressures acting on intergroup social behaviours. We focus on the relative advantages and disadvantages of intergroup tolerance in different ecological contexts using agent-based modelling (ABM). We assess the relative costs and benefits of different ‘tolerance’ levels in between-group interactions on survival and resource exploitation in different environments. The results enable us to infer a potential relationship between ecological changes and proposed changes in between-group behavioural dynamics. We conclude that increasingly harsh environments may have driven changes in hormonal and emotional responses in humans leading to increasing intergroup tolerance, i.e. transformations in social behaviour associated with ‘self-domestication’. We argue that changes in intergroup tolerance is a more parsimonious explanation for the emergence of what has been seen as ‘modern human behaviour’ than changes in hard aspects of cognition or other factors such as cognitive adaptability or population size.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1292
Author(s):  
Neziha Akalin ◽  
Amy Loutfi

This article surveys reinforcement learning approaches in social robotics. Reinforcement learning is a framework for decision-making problems in which an agent interacts through trial-and-error with its environment to discover an optimal behavior. Since interaction is a key component in both reinforcement learning and social robotics, it can be a well-suited approach for real-world interactions with physically embodied social robots. The scope of the paper is focused particularly on studies that include social physical robots and real-world human-robot interactions with users. We present a thorough analysis of reinforcement learning approaches in social robotics. In addition to a survey, we categorize existent reinforcement learning approaches based on the used method and the design of the reward mechanisms. Moreover, since communication capability is a prominent feature of social robots, we discuss and group the papers based on the communication medium used for reward formulation. Considering the importance of designing the reward function, we also provide a categorization of the papers based on the nature of the reward. This categorization includes three major themes: interactive reinforcement learning, intrinsically motivated methods, and task performance-driven methods. The benefits and challenges of reinforcement learning in social robotics, evaluation methods of the papers regarding whether or not they use subjective and algorithmic measures, a discussion in the view of real-world reinforcement learning challenges and proposed solutions, the points that remain to be explored, including the approaches that have thus far received less attention is also given in the paper. Thus, this paper aims to become a starting point for researchers interested in using and applying reinforcement learning methods in this particular research field.


1981 ◽  
Vol 59 (9) ◽  
pp. 1666-1676 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail R. Michener

The development of spatial and social patterns by juvenile Richardson's ground squirrels, from first emergence from the natal burrow to entry into hibernation, is described. Juveniles enter the aboveground population at [Formula: see text] weeks of age. During the next 4 weeks juveniles remain in close spatial proximity to family members with whom they engage in frequent amicable social interactions. Thereafter, juveniles become increasingly independent from the family unit, establishing their own spatially distinct core areas and exhibiting site-dependent dominance toward nonkin. Typically juveniles remain physically closer to and more amicable with littermates and mother than other conspecifics such that they compose kin clusters, the members of which are agonistic toward members of adjacent kin clusters. Daughters are more likely to continue to reside close to kin as adults than are sons. At 9–10 weeks of age juveniles exhibit the majority of spatial and social patterns characteristic of adults, and at 12 weeks they are behaviourally indistinguishable from adults. Similar rapid acquisition of adult patterns occurs in four other species of ground-dwelling sciurids that are also obligate hibernators and that breed immediately following emergence from their first hibernation.


1907 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simeon E. Baldwin

The pre-Tridentine œcumenical councils of the Roman Catholic church were, as Dr. Francis Wharton has well remarked, international congresses, working toward the establishment of a uniform law for the civilized world. It was a law confined to one set of subjects; but among them were those having to do with the family relation, and which were therefore of the first importance to human society. Each nation of Christendom was represented in these gatherings by its sovereign or political delegates, as well as by its bishops, and it was for each nation, acting through its political departments, to ratify or reject such rules or laws in these respects as the council might propose.The representation of political sovereignty in the Council of Trent was slight, and in the only œcumenical council since called by Eome — that of the Vatican — it was wholly wanting; Bavaria being the only power (though all European cabinets were consulted) which intimated a willingness to send an official delegate.


Author(s):  
Ahmad Yanizon

Perkembangan moral pada masa kanak-kanak masih dalam tingkat yang rendah. Hal ini disebabkan karena perkembangan intelektual anak-anak belum mencapai titik di mana ia dapat mempelajari atau menerapkan prinsip-prinsip abstrak tentang benar dan salah. Orang tua merupakan tempat pertama terbentuknya moral anak. Kasih sayang yang diberikan orang tua terhadap anak, membangun sistem interaksi yang bermoral antara anak dengan orang lain. Hubungan dengan orang tua yang hangat, ramah, gembira dan menunjukkan sikap kasih sayang merupakan pupuk bagi perkembangan moral anak. Dengan demikian, maka penting sekali peranan orang tua di keluarga dalam perkembangan moral anak, karena orang tua merupakan pendidik pertama yang diterima anak ketika mereka terlahir kedunia. Adapun peran orang tua dalam pembentukan moral anak dilihat dari pegembangan pandangan moral, perasaan moral dan tingkah laku moral. Ketiga unsur tersebut terbentuk dari interaksi orang tua anak dalam keluarga yang berlangsung dari anak-anak hingga dewasa. Oleh karena itu, sudah seharusnyalah orang tua berperan sebagai teladan yang baik di keluarga untuk menjadi contoh bagi anak-anaknya.Kata Kunci: Moral, Peran Orang Tua Moral development in childhood is still in a low level. It is because of the children’s intellectual development has not already reached the level where he is able to learn or apply the abstract principles about right and wrong things. Parental is the first point of children’s moral formation. Parents’ Affection toward children, build their moral interaction systems. A warm, friendly, happy relationship and affection between parents and children are children’s moral development fertilizer. Thus, parents’ roles toward children’s moral development are very essential, because parents are the first educators for children when they got born into the world. Parents’ roles toward children’s moral formation are viewed from children’s developing moral vision, a sense of morality and moral behavior. These three elements were formed from parents and children’s interaction in a family since childhood to adulthood. Therefore, it is a must for parents to figure well in the family to be as a good example for their children.Keywords: Moral, Parents’ Role  


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damir Marinić ◽  
Ida Marinić

Since the beginning of the 21st century, many regions in the world have faced with economic volatility, political instability, environmental degradation, cultural wars and various cyber threats, which only intensified during the coronavirus pandemic. The reason behind these crises is a fragmented character of human interactions that are motivated by self or local interest, despite the fact that we are becoming increasingly interconnected in complex global networks. From a systemic perspective, human interactions in contemporary society are motivated by centrifugal social forces, promoting independence and an increased sense of entitlement, exclusive individualism, hostile competitiveness, all of which are completely purposeless, even harmful in today's global society. We are constantly trying to implement pre-global individualistic values in a global interdependent system, thus causing "cracks" in the social fabric of reality, which we could especially witness during the coronavirus pandemic. In order to bring about a change in current trends, a paradigm shift is required, first of all in human values, which would increase existing centripetal social forces. This means that the generation living today must formulate a commitment to global citizenship alongside involvement in local citizenship. In order to protect ourselves from future outbursts of pandemics and other similar systemic crises, a new vision of human society is required which fosters openness, care for the "other", and mutual responsibility across national borders, as well as cultural, religious, racial, gendered and other divides. The only effective response to global crises is – global response.


2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 28-33
Author(s):  
Daurenbek Kusainov ◽  
◽  
Ainur Sadyrova ◽  

Marriage and the family are important institutions of human society. As we know, they include different private institutions: the institute of kinship, the institute of motherhood and fatherhood, the institute of property, the institute of social protection of childhood and guardianship, and others. The process of family formation is the process of assimilation of social norms, roles and standards that regulate courtship, the choice of a marriage partner, family stabilization, sexual behavior, relations with the parents of spouses.The sociology of the family in a narrow sense, as part of general sociology, as a theory of the “middle level”; considers a special sphere of life and culture of families. The sociology of the family deals with a group, and not with an individual subject of life activity. A group of people connected by family and kinship relations forms that part of the social reality that is studied by the sociology of the family, where the family lifestyle is at the forefront. The sociology of the family considers the individual as a member of the family, integral part of the society. The sociology of the family correlates with the sociology of the individual; it studies personality, first of all, through the prism of socio-cultural intra-family ties, family identity of the individual. In any societythe family has a dual character. On the one hand, it is a social institution, on the other-a small group that has its own laws of functioning and development.


Author(s):  
Mohammad Basir Moqemi

Afghanistan which is known as the heart of Asia and strategic hub, has been burning in political parties and world super powers vicarious fight. Simultaneously, with the conflicts it would like to keep abreast with the world development. In consideration of speed of technology and improvements of world, globalization of education is one of the controversial issues. Education plays a key and an important role in taking decisions, social, economic and cultural activities in human society. For this reason, it minimum decreases human separations and makes countries’ profits closer to each other. Human thoughts and knowledge simply break the limitations and pave the ground for human interactions. Information of this review has taken from national and international libraries, magazines and articles. This study has considered as a limit of library and has used thoughts and ideas of scientists and theorists about globalization. Result of study shows that how globalization affects on country’s education that has faced problems and opportunities in their education. By consideration of effective and active plan we can reach out the problems. We can change weak points to strong points simultaneously with world. Despite of all accompanying countries cooperation and attention for developing education system and rehabilitation of Afghanistan, still there are lots of challenges for standardizing education system. By presenting objective suggestions and struggling to build standardized education system, we can achieve our goals.


Author(s):  
Shannon Vallor

The conversation about social robots and ethics has matured considerably over the years, moving beyond two inadequate poles: superficially utilitarian analyses of ethical ‘risks’ of social robots that fail to question the underlying sociotechnical systems and values driving robotics development, and speculative, empirically unfounded fears of robo-pocalypses that likewise leave those underlying systems and values unexamined and unchallenged. Today our perspective in the field is normatively richer and more empirically grounded. However, there is still work to be done. In the transition from risk-mitigation that accepts the social status quo, to deeper thinking about how to design different worlds in which we might flourish with social robots, we nevertheless have not reckoned with the moral and social debt already accumulated in existing robotics systems and our broader culture of sociotechnical innovation. We relish our creative and philosophical imaginings of a future in which we live well with robots, but without a serious reckoning with the past and present, and the legacies of harm and neglect that must be redressed and repaired in order for those futures to be possible and sustainable. This talk explores those legacies and their accumulated debts, and what it will take to liberate social robotics from them.


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