Robot Attitudes Test (NARS)

As autonomous and communication robots increasingly move from industrial factory floors into workplaces, healthcare settings, hospitality venues, and private households, human attitudes toward artificial agents have become a central area of psychological research. The Negative Attitudes toward Robots Scale (NARS) was introduced in 2006 by Tatsuya Nomura, Tomohiro Suzuki, Takayuki Kanda, and Kensuke Kato to evaluate how individual beliefs and emotional responses influence human-robot interaction. Rather than treating technology acceptance as a simple binary choice, the NARS framework acknowledges that people often experience nuanced, multifaceted feelings toward robotic systems that perform tasks, interact socially, or display lifelike behaviors.

The first component, Robot Comfort, assesses your ease and confidence in direct, practical interactions with robotic devices. Individuals scoring high in this area generally feel relaxed when operating a robot, collaborating with automated systems at work, or engaging with technology in public view. In contrast, those with lower comfort may experience situational unease, hesitation, or self-consciousness when asked to handle or navigate around robotic machinery. These situational feelings often reflect how intuitive and familiar a person finds hands-on technological interaction, as well as their general comfort with physical automation in everyday environments.

The second dimension, Robot Acceptance, centers on your broader perspectives regarding the social influence and autonomy of robots. People with high acceptance feel at ease with the prospect of artificial intelligence and robotic systems making routine judgments, managing complex organizational processes, or occupying emerging societal roles. Conversely, individuals who report lower acceptance often harbor meaningful reservations about the growing influence of automated technology, potential disruptions to human employment, or the unpredictable ethical ramifications of autonomous decision-making in public and private institutions.

The third dimension, Positive Robot Emotions, captures your psychological receptivity toward affective interaction with artificial systems. High scores in this facet reflect a willingness to converse naturally with socially capable robots, derive comfort from interactive companions, or entertain the possibility of forming positive social bonds with machines designed to simulate emotional responsiveness. Those with lower scores tend to maintain strict interpersonal boundaries, preferring that robotic agents remain strictly mechanical utilities without humanlike expressive qualities, artificial warmth, or simulated emotional rapport.

Empirical human-robot interaction research demonstrates that attitudes toward robots are dynamic and shaped by numerous contextual factors, including prior familiarity with technology, cultural narratives, professional exposure, and the specific design features of a given machine. Studies utilizing the NARS have found that initial hesitation frequently declines as individuals gain constructive, firsthand experience with well-designed automated assistants. Furthermore, research indicates that people often differentiate sharply between utilitarian robots that clean or assemble products and social robots intended for companionship, education, or elderly care.

The population comparison markers displayed on your chart are orientation estimates derived from published research samples and are intended for general context rather than standardized psychological percentiles. This test is provided exclusively for educational, personal reflection, and informational purposes and does not represent a clinical evaluation, personality diagnosis, or formal measure of technical aptitude. This online assessment is based on the published Negative Attitudes Towards Robots Scale (NARS) and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the original study authors or their academic institutions.

References

• Nomura, T., Suzuki, T., Kanda, T., & Kato, K. (2006). Measurement of negative attitudes toward robots. Interaction Studies, 7(3), 437-454.