![]() ![]() One example of this is the use of social robots as companions for elderly people. When we attribute familiar emotions or attitudes to nonhuman entities, it’s easier for us to feel connected to them. Anthropomorphism can fulfill our social need for companionship. By doing so, humans attribute meaning to natural events. For example, in the context of natural disasters, phrases like “nature is sending us a message” and “nature always strikes back” portray nature as vengeful, which is a human trait. We try to cope with threatening situations.For instance, pet owners often believe that their pet did something bad “on purpose” or that it feels “guilty.” When we encounter an unknown situation, we tend to explain it by drawing on what we know best (i.e., our knowledge about humans). Anthropomorphism helps us make sense of the world around us. We make inferences based on ourselves.In science, machines and robots are often described in terms of human behavior, and anthropomorphism is applied intentionally in AI assistants like Alexa and online chatbots to make them more user friendly.Īnthropomorphism is also used as a literary device in art, literature, and film to create relatable characters (e.g., the droids in Star Wars) or to tell an allegorical story (e.g., George Orwell’s Animal Farm).Īnthropomorphism is common for several reasons: Today, anthropomorphism has a broader meaning and involves perceiving inanimate objects, animals, and natural phenomena as possessing human characteristics, personalities, and intentions (for example, people often give hurricanes and storms human names). Originally, anthropomorphism was the ascription of human traits, like physical characteristics or feelings, to deities. ![]() The word “anthropomorphism” derives from the Greek root words “anthropos” (“human”) and “morphe” (“form”).
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