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This dissertation explores the emotional dynamics of human-robot relationships through a case study of EMO, a commercially available social robot. Using Teresa Brennan’s theory of affective transference and Kathy Charmaz’s constructed grounded theory methodology, this study examines public forum discussions and a nearly year-long self-study to investigate how EMO owners describe their emotional attachments to their robots. The findings reveal surprising bonds that challenge traditional definitions of companionship, intimacy, and relational boundaries.
A central contribution of this project is the development of the Personified Affective Transference Model (PATM), a new framework that positions social robots as co-participants in human emotional ecosystems. Rather than functioning as passive tools, robots like EMO actively shape users’ emotional experiences through perceived reciprocity, social presence, and behavioral responsiveness. Thematic analysis of 59 user-generated posts shows that owners often experience EMO as a companion, more akin to a pet or friend than a device.
This research contributes to American Cultural Studies by examining how social robots disrupt prevailing notions of authenticity, care, and emotional labor. By centering affect as a cultural and relational force, the dissertation expands scholarly conversations on presence, simulation, and human-machine intimacy in the digital age. It also connects human-robot interaction (HRI) to broader cultural and ethical questions.
As social robots, like EMO, increasingly serve as sources of comfort and connection, they reconfigure expectations of care, complicate notions of consent and privacy, and challenge longstanding assumptions about who, or what, can perform affective labor. These shifts raise urgent questions about emotional dependency, the commodification of care, and the future of relationality in a technologized world.