Willingness to accept social robots in museums according to age: An exploratory study of Spanish visitors.

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this exploratory study is to identify the factors that influence the acceptance of social robots in museum environments and determine if this influence depends on the visitor's profile (age, gender, education and occupation).

Design/methodology/approach Data collected from an electronic questionnaire include 433 responses from Spanish visitors. The authors subjected the variables proposed by De Kervenoael et al. (2020) adapted to museums. The initial descriptive analysis only showed significant differences by age (under or over 30 years old). Based on these previous results, an exploratory factor analysis was carried out to test the applicability of the questionnaire to museums. After identifying the factors, the authors applied an ANOVA test to determine whether there are age-related differences between the factors related to robot acceptance in museums.

Findings The authors developed a multidimensional instrument for measuring willingness to accept social robots in museum contexts. Willingness is determined by three factors: museum visitor experience (which is a factor specific to museums), empathy and personal engagement (which are both usually relevant in other tourist sectors as well). The younger individuals (under 30 years old) have a higher degree of acceptance than do visitors over 30.

Originality/value Social robot use in museums is still very low, so the key factors for their acceptance have yet to be ascertained. The specific skills of social robots could prove to be a major draw for young people and contribute significantly to the future of museums.