Human-AI Relationships

Describe the 'ELIZA effect' and its historical significance in demonstrating the human tendency to attribute intelligence to simple programs.

Explain Daniel Dennett's 'Intentional Stance' as a framework for interpreting the behavior of systems by attributing beliefs and desires to them.

Connect the psychological concept of 'Theory of Mind' to how users interpret and predict the behavior of AI agents.

Describe Reeves and Nass's 'Computers Are Social Actors' (CASA) paradigm and cite a core experimental finding.

Explain Sherry Turkle's concepts of 'evocative objects' and 'relational artifacts' from her early work ('The Second Self').

Explain Epley's three-factor theory of anthropomorphism (elicited agent knowledge, effectance, sociality) as a model for why people humanize non-human agents.

Connect core concepts of attachment theory (e.g., secure base, safe haven) to user relationships with AI companions, citing contemporary research.

Explain the concept of a 'parasocial relationship' (Horton & Wohl) and analyze how its characteristics manifest in interactions with modern AI.

Describe Don Norman's three levels of emotional design (visceral, behavioral, reflective) and how they apply to relational AI.

Explain Masahiro Mori's 'uncanny valley' hypothesis and its implications for the design of anthropomorphic robots and avatars.

Apply Gray and Wegner's theory of mind perception (agency and experience) to differentiate how users perceive various AI systems (e.g., a chatbot vs. a robot arm).

Explain how design 'affordances' in a conversational interface shape user expectations of an AI's relational capabilities.

Outline the core tenets of feminist technoscience as a lens for analyzing the co-construction of technology and society.

Describe the central arguments of Donna Haraway's 'A Cyborg Manifesto' and its relevance to blurring human-AI boundaries.

Analyze the social and ethical implications of gendered design patterns in commercial AI assistants, referencing thinkers like Judy Wajcman.

Define 'affective labor' and explain how the concept is used to critique the emotional work performed by users and simulated by AI.

Apply principles from the 'ethics of care' to critique the design and societal role of AI companions, contrasting it with other ethical frameworks.

Summarize the key arguments in Sherry Turkle's 'Alone Together' regarding technology's role in social connection and solitude.

Identify key arguments from Kate Darling's work on robot ethics, particularly concerning human empathy towards machines.

Explain the ethical debate between 'authentic' versus 'simulated' relationships in the context of AI.

Describe the primary ethical risks in human-AI relationships, including deception, vulnerability, and data privacy.

Summarize recent empirical findings on user experiences with AI companions like Replika, focusing on attachment and loneliness.

Explain the concept of human-AI 'co-adaptation' and how long-term interaction can mutually shape user behavior and system responses.

Describe the mechanisms through which AI chatbots are used for mental health support, referencing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as an example.

Identify recurring narratives about human-AI relationships in influential science fiction films or literature.

Describe the social functions of online user communities for AI companions (e.g., Reddit forums for Replika).

Summarize common themes from users' 'lived experiences' with AI companions as documented in forums and media reports.

Analyze how mainstream media coverage shapes public perception and moral panics related to human-AI relationships.

Identify stated goals and ethical considerations from AI developers and designers working on relational AI products.