# We Do Not Anthropomorphize a Robot Based Only on Its Cover: Context Matters too!
## 4 Anthropomorphizing Factors: Robotic Factors Are Not Enough
### Human Factors Also Depend on the Users Themselves, Not Just the Robots
#### 4.3.1 The Older We Get, the Less We Anthropomorphize  
Social robots are generally well accepted by children aged 5-9 [155], both intentionally (NAO [177]) and behaviorally (KEEPON [104]). We observe similar tendencies with older children (aged 10-15) with good _intentional_ and _behavioral_ acceptance of the robot. At the intentional level, they show a similar acceptance of robots as they do with a human [178] or a tablet [179], and at the behavioral level they are more willing to switch devices when they perform an activity with a tablet than when they perform the activity with a robot indicating a preference for the robot [179]. When directly comparing groups of different ages, two studies highlight a similar acceptance of robots between young children aged 4-6 y.o. and older children aged 7-10 y.o., both at the intentional [173] and behavioral [104] levels. Yet, results regarding the effect of age on robot acceptance are conflicting. Two other studies make the opposite finding [160; 171]. Indeed, children aged 6-9 are more accepting of robots than both preteens (10-12 y.o.) and teens (13-16 y.o.) at the intentional level [160]. Yet, at the behavioral level, children aged 3 trust a human more than a robot in a game, while at age 7 they trust the robot more (NAO [171]). In addition, when preschoolers interact with a robot for the first time, younger children (about 36 m.o.) are more easily distracted compared to older children (about 44 m.o.). They look at the robot less and show greater dependence on the experimenter compared to older children [169]. A 10-month age difference may, thus, induce different levels of engagement with the robot. The question of the robot's role may be relevant to explain these results: 36 m.o. would be interested in the robot for a story reading, while 44 m.o. would prefer more interaction and discussion [161]. Beyond mere acceptance, age also has an impact on the overall tendency to anthropomorphize. Neurotypical children anthropomorphize robots [148] as evidenced by the fact that they attribute goals to their movements [175], assign mental states to them [180], can help them [174]), and feel morally concerned with them to some extent [83]. More specifically, younger children are more likely to anthropomorphize than older children [202]. At age 3, children are more likely to assign biological properties to a robot (DASH, NAO, KIROBO) than at age 5 or as an adult [72; 176]. At age 5, children assign more mental states to an iconic robot (NAO) than 7 and 9 y.o. children [40; 77]. At ages 4-8, children rate robots as significantly hinder than older children (aged 9-13 y.o.) or adults and would also appreciate more the robot praying for them [69]. At ages 5-11, children are more likely to attribute human characteristics to robots than adolescents (12-16 y.o.) [170]. At ages 9-12, children are more willing to consider robots as social beings, compared to 15 y.o. They are also more concerned about the robots' moral interests and attribute more mental states to them [122]. Thus, as children grow older, they attribute less to non-human agents (e.g., NAO, ALEXA, ROOMBA) [37]. The tendency to anthropomorphism would decrease during development due to the accumulation of experience [40]. According to the SEEK theory [5], anthropomorphism would serve to fill a partial representation of the robots. Thus, the more the child gains experience interacting with robots (with age), the more relevant their representation of robots becomes, and the less anthropomorphization is necessary. Several studies seem to confirm this theory: exposure to technology increases with age [37], and as children grow older, they have a more sophisticated understanding of the mental capacities of robots, as well as their moral and social status [122]. This tendency even extends to adults who ascribe less free will to a robot (ROBOVIE) than to a human compared to 5-7 y.o. children, who assign as much free will to them [172].