Joint Action in Humans: A Model for Human-Robot Interaction

This chapter provides an overview of theory and data from joint action research in humans that is potentially relevant for research on human-robot interaction. We will work with a broad definition that refers to joint actions as the coordinated actions of multiple agents that bring about a change in the environment. Such joint actions are pervasive in our everyday life. A growing body of literature has unraveled different cognitive and behavioral mechanisms that allow humans to perform actions together. We will review work on representational and attentional processes that enable agents to plan and prepare joint actions, and motor and communicative behaviors that enable agents to sustain spatial and temporal coordination of their actions over time. Finally, we will review empirical evidence on human-robot interactions and single out open questions that could help to improve human-robot interaction. We conclude that treating joint action in humans as a model for human-robot interaction may be crucial for improving the design of robotic agents that master the necessary interactive tools to engage in cooperation.