Factors influencing the adoption of the intentional stance: The interaction

The concept of the Intentional Stance refers to the strategy that one takes in explaining and predicting the behaviour of others. Thus, behaviour of a system is the crucial factor determining whether one would perceive the system as an intentional agent (and thus, adopt the Intentional Stance) or just a mechanical artefact. Behaviour, however, does not happen in isolation. In most cases, it manifests itself through interaction. This chapter explores various aspects of an interaction between a human and a robot that may contribute to the adoption of the Intentional Stance. The argument presented here posits that the likelihood of adopting the Intentional Stance increases in a context, in which a human is engaged in an interaction with a robot, where the interaction creates some bond or social attunement. This, in turn, might elicit an impression that the robot is 'like me', which means that it is like an intentional agent. The chapter discusses two classes of interactive context in which attunement can be created: belief in sharing experiences without shared goals and belief in sharing experiences with shared goals. Both contexts have been shown to increase the likelihood of adopting the Intentional Stance, in contrast to less interactive protocols.