Cultural Robotics: Social Robots and Their Emergent Cultural Ecologies by Belinda J. Dunstan & Jeffrey T. K. V. Koh & Deborah Turnbull Tillman & Scott Andrew Brown

Author:Belinda J. Dunstan & Jeffrey T. K. V. Koh & Deborah Turnbull Tillman & Scott Andrew Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783031281389
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

9.3 Value Sensitive Design Applied to Social Robots

Value sensitive design (VSD) is an interactional theory and method that accounts for human values in a principled and structured manner throughout the design process (Friedman et al. 2002). It not only considers usability but also context and values (preferences, an individual’s orientation, etc.). An important aspect of VSD lies in identifying which values should be taken into account in the design process.

Schwartz’s model of values distinguishes individual and cultural values. Individual values (1) are subjective beliefs of people linked to affect, (2) refer to desirable goals that motivate action, (3) transcend particular situations, (4) serve as standards or evaluation criteria, (5) are ordered by their relative importance, and (6) direct individuals’ actions (Schwartz 2012). Schwartz has validated ten basic circumplex values: Conformity, Tradition, Security, Power, Achievement, Hedonism, Stimulation, Self-Direction, Universalism, and Benevolence (Schwartz 1992; Witte and Stanciu 2020). These values respond to human needs in terms of accepting people as biological organisms, reaching agreement in social actions, and acknowledging survival and well-being of individuals. Ideals that influence the attitudes and behavior of individuals and groups within a culture are represented by cultural values (Schwartz 2004). Cultural values are abstract structures as opposed to observable individual values. These value constructs reflect common understandings of what is desirable and perceived good in the culture or the cultural ideals (Schwartz 2006). Institutional structures, laws, and social norms all reflect underlying cultural values in society.

Friedman et al. proposed a list of thirteen human values for the design of information systems: human welfare, ownership and property, privacy, freedom from bias, universal usability, trust, autonomy, informed consent, accountability, courtesy, identity, calmness, and environmental sustainability (Betz and Fritsch, 2016; Friedman et al. 2006). The VSD approach is centered around a tripartite methodology of conceptual, empirical, and technical investigations. The conceptual investigations include raising questions about direct and indirect stakeholders affected by the design and competing and moral values. These questions further lead to empirical investigations, which evaluate the viability of a particular design through research. Finally, technical investigations look at how existing technology properties and their mechanisms support or hinder human values.

However, some researchers argue that it is better to generate values from stakeholders in a bottom-up approach (Umbrello and Poel 2020). The question here is whether these thirteen values are sufficient for designing social robots to be responsive to cultures. In this regard, Smakman et al. (2021) came up with seventeen moral values that might be influenced by the use of social robots in primary education, adding autonomy, flexibility, and responsibility to the list previously conceived by Friedman et al. Thus, stakeholder voices should be also explored to account for the flexible and dynamic nature of human values.

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