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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)

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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.

Comparable studies

Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
The varieties of contemplative experience: A mixed-methods study of meditation-related challenges in Western Buddhists Western Buddhist meditation practitioners and experts in Theravāda, Zen, and Tibetan... 2017 Qualitative study with mixed-methods
The Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on Nurse Stress and Burnout Nurses in a hospital system 2004 Implementation study with mixed methods
An exploratory mixed methods study of the acceptability and effectiveness of mindfulness -based cognitive therapy for patients with active depression and anxiety in primary care Primary care patients with recurrent depression or recurrent depression and anxiety 2006 Exploratory mixed methods study n = 13
A qualitative study of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy for depression Participants in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in a mental-health context 2001 Qualitative study n = 7
Effortless awareness: using real time neurofeedback to investigate correlates of posterior cingulate cortex activity in meditators' self-report Meditators 2013 Qualitative study using grounded theory methodology

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