Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38162035›Full record

ArticleiScience2023

Higher oxytocin concentrations occur in subjects who build affiliative relationships with companion robots.

Shuhei Imamura, Yoko Gozu, Moe Tsutsumi, Kaname Hayashi, Chiaki Mori, Megumi Ishikawa, Megumi Takada, Tomotaka Ogiso, Keiko Suzuki, Shota Okabe and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in iScience, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.0field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Shuhei ImamuraMIRAI Technology Institute, Shiseido Co., Ltd., 1-2-11, Takashima, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 220-0011, Japan.
Yoko GozuMIRAI Technology Institute, Shiseido Co., Ltd., 1-2-11, Takashima, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 220-0011, Japan.
Moe TsutsumiMIRAI Technology Institute, Shiseido Co., Ltd., 1-2-11, Takashima, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 220-0011, Japan.
Kaname HayashiGROOVE X, Inc., 3-42-3, Nihonbashi-Hamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0007, Japan.
Chiaki MoriGROOVE X, Inc., 3-42-3, Nihonbashi-Hamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0007, Japan.
Megumi IshikawaGROOVE X, Inc., 3-42-3, Nihonbashi-Hamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0007, Japan.
Megumi TakadaGROOVE X, Inc., 3-42-3, Nihonbashi-Hamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0007, Japan.
Tomotaka OgisoGROOVE X, Inc., 3-42-3, Nihonbashi-Hamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0007, Japan.
Keiko SuzukiGROOVE X, Inc., 3-42-3, Nihonbashi-Hamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-0007, Japan.
Shota OkabeDivision of Brain and Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Jichi Medical University, 3311-1 Yakushiji, Shimotsuke-shi, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan.
Takefumi KikusuiDepartment of Veterinary Science, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5201, Japan.
Kentaro KajiyaMIRAI Technology Institute, Shiseido Co., Ltd., 1-2-11, Takashima, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 220-0011, Japan.
Bank of Japan · JPMirai Hospital · JPAzabu University · JPJichi Medical University · JP

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Building affiliative relationships with others is important for mental health. Recently, robots have been expected to play a role in improving mental health, but there is little scientific evidence as to whether they can build affiliative relationships with humans. To investigate that, we conducted studies combining behavior, physiology and questionnaires for companion robot Owners and Non-Owners. The results reveal that the steady-state concentration of oxytocin, a hormone related to affiliative relationships, was significantly higher in Owners than in Non-Owners. In addition, the Owners showed more behaviors indicative of intimacy than the Non-Owners. These results suggest that humans can build affiliative relationships with robots. Fifteen minutes of contact with the robot decreased the concentration of cortisol in both groups, suggesting that even a brief contact can contribute to improving mental health. Therefore, relationships between humans and robots may be one option to improve mental health and enhance well-being.

Indexed as

Behavioral neuroscienceCognitive neuroscienceNeuroscience

Identifiers

PMID38162035
PMCPMC10757042
OpenAlexW4388943037

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.