Seeing Robots as Teammates: A Path to More Engaging Triage Training
Disciplines
Human Factors Psychology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Triaging is a way of categorizing patients so they receive timely care during a mass casualty event. Recent triage training approaches use gamification to increase trainee engagement. Since engagement in training can improve training effectiveness, it is important to design a training game capable of maintaining user engagement. In this study, we used a novel approach where participants learned triaging by playing a game in collaboration with a robot partner. We examined how this experience influenced user satisfaction and engagement during training. Participants first received basic lecture-based training, completed a pretest, played a computer game where they triaged 10 patients, and then completed a posttest. They were randomly assigned to either a control group, where the robot only followed them, or a collaboration group, where they actively worked with the robot during the game. First, we analyzed whether working with a robot partner increased satisfaction and engagement compared to when the robot was merely following. Next, we explored how collaboration encouraged users to see the robot as their teammate by examining perceived human-likeness, attribution of success or blame, co-presence, emotional connection, shared understanding, and action dependency. Lastly, we tested whether individuals who perceived the robot as a teammate showed higher levels of satisfaction and engagement. Through these analyses, we aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of Human-AI collaborative learning in maintaining learner engagement and satisfaction, and to examine whether perceiving the robot as a teammate contributes to these benefits. The findings will help inform the design of robotic systems that foster trust, engagement, and effective teamwork, contributing to training strategies that support both performance and user experience.
Use of AI Disclaimer
no
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS – Psychological Science
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Hansol Rheem
Seeing Robots as Teammates: A Path to More Engaging Triage Training
Triaging is a way of categorizing patients so they receive timely care during a mass casualty event. Recent triage training approaches use gamification to increase trainee engagement. Since engagement in training can improve training effectiveness, it is important to design a training game capable of maintaining user engagement. In this study, we used a novel approach where participants learned triaging by playing a game in collaboration with a robot partner. We examined how this experience influenced user satisfaction and engagement during training. Participants first received basic lecture-based training, completed a pretest, played a computer game where they triaged 10 patients, and then completed a posttest. They were randomly assigned to either a control group, where the robot only followed them, or a collaboration group, where they actively worked with the robot during the game. First, we analyzed whether working with a robot partner increased satisfaction and engagement compared to when the robot was merely following. Next, we explored how collaboration encouraged users to see the robot as their teammate by examining perceived human-likeness, attribution of success or blame, co-presence, emotional connection, shared understanding, and action dependency. Lastly, we tested whether individuals who perceived the robot as a teammate showed higher levels of satisfaction and engagement. Through these analyses, we aim to demonstrate the effectiveness of Human-AI collaborative learning in maintaining learner engagement and satisfaction, and to examine whether perceiving the robot as a teammate contributes to these benefits. The findings will help inform the design of robotic systems that foster trust, engagement, and effective teamwork, contributing to training strategies that support both performance and user experience.