| Sumario: | Background Many studies indicate that companion robots are effective for supporting the health of older people have been reported; however, there is little knowledge on supporting older people through conversation. It is thus necessary to explore the conversation style of robots to promote the psychological health of older people. Research aim The aim of this study was to explore which style of robot's utterance was effective for promoting relationship with older people: provide useful information or only ask questions and provide neutral responses. Methods We conducted a comparative study using two talking robots with the aim of promoting psychological health. One robot has programmed to converse frequently with people, giving them general advices; the other robot was programmed listen frequently to people. Twenty-nine participants (average 70.28 years old) were randomly divided into two groups, and after having a semi-structured conversation with the robot, they responded to an impressive evaluation and interview. Results The results showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups; the number of utterances of participants in the listening-robot group was significantly higher than that of the speaking-robot group. We analyzed the conversation content, and the results showed that participants had a more positive feeling toward the listening robot than toward the speaking robot. Conclusion We argue that social robots for older people should listen more than speak in order to promote a better relationship.
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