Personalized Affective Adaptation of Embodied Robots and Elderly Long-Term Acceptance: A Longitudinal Neurocognitive Study

Abstract

Long-term acceptance is crucial for sustainable application of embodied robots in elderly care, but existing studies focus on short-term effects and lack personalized adaptation strategies. To address this, this study explored the impact of robots’ personalized affective adaptation (based on elderly’s personality and emotional preference) on long-term acceptance via a 12-week longitudinal experiment (36 participants, personalized vs. general adaptation groups). Behavioral results: experimental group’s long-term acceptance score was significantly higher at 8/12 weeks (12w:6.5±0.7 vs. control’s 4.8±0.9, p<0.001), with sustained high growth, while control’s declined after 8w. Neurocognitively, experimental group had sustained VMPFC/insula activation and stable high alpha-gamma IBS. Chain mediation analysis showed personalized emotional support and interaction familiarity mediated the relationship. Findings clarify dynamic mechanisms, guiding personalized elderly-friendly robot design.

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