Does Embodiment Matter? Evaluating Social Presence, Comfort and Authenticity in Robot-Guided Meditation
Ellie Green, Andrew Blair, Mary Ellen Foster
International Conference on Conversational User Interfaces July 21, 2026 DOI: 10.1145/3816046.3816278 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Comparative study with mixed methods Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Measures | Social presence survey |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Social presence scores were significantly higher in the robot-guided condition than in the audio-only condition, with participants reporting more engagement and companionship. Embodiment did not increase perceived authenticity, but participants were comfortable with the robot in a human-designed meditation structure. |
Abstract
Guided meditation is predominantly delivered through audio-only media or in-person sessions, yet social robots may offer a richer form of interaction through physical embodiment. To investigate this, we implemented a loving-kindness meditation on the Furhat robot and compared user responses to the robot-guided meditation to an equivalent audio-only condition. Social presence was measured on a quantitative survey, alongside qualitative post-experiment interviews. Results showed significantly higher social presence scores in the embodied condition, with participants reporting higher levels of engagement and companionship. While embodiment did not increase perceived authenticity, participants were comfortable with the robot in the structure of a human-designed meditation. These findings suggest that physical embodiment can meaningfully enhance meditation experiences through social presence, as long as the design avoids intrusiveness or false human equivalence.