The Role of Social Robot in Enhancing Social–Emotional Skill Development in Children With Autism: A Three‐Level Meta‐Analysis.

Background: Children with autism often face challenges in developing social–emotional skills, which are essential for their overall growth and social integration. Social robots have emerged as promising tools to support these skills; however, their effectiveness and educational applications remain u...

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Publicado en:Journal of Computer Assisted Learning Vol. 41; no. 6; pp. 1 - 22
Autores principales: Zhong, Wenjun, Luo, Jianghua, Luo, Lihong, Lyu, Ya
Formato: equations & formulas meta analysis research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Dec2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Dec2025
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
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        atl: The Role of Social Robot in Enhancing Social–Emotional Skill Development in Children With Autism: A Three‐Level Meta‐Analysis.
      aug:
        au:
          Zhong, Wenjun
          Luo, Jianghua
          Luo, Lihong
          Lyu, Ya
        affil: Center for Studies of Education and Psychology of Ethnic Minorities in Southwest China, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
      sug:
        subj:
          Computer-Assisted Instruction
          Robotics
          Skill Acquisition
          Social Skills Training
          Emotions Education
          Autism Spectrum Disorder Rehabilitation
          Treatment Outcomes
          Human
          Systematic Review
          Meta Analysis
          Communication
          Nonverbal Communication
          Social Cognition
          Conceptual Framework
          Communication Skills
          CINAHL Database
          Cochrane Library
          Embase
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          Checklists
          Data Analysis Software
          Descriptive Statistics
          Analysis of Variance
          Models, Statistical
          Confidence Intervals
          Regression
          Power Analysis
          Effect Size
          Funding Source
      ab: Background: Children with autism often face challenges in developing social–emotional skills, which are essential for their overall growth and social integration. Social robots have emerged as promising tools to support these skills; however, their effectiveness and educational applications remain uncertain, with existing research lacking consensus on their specific benefits. Objectives: This study aims to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of social robots in enhancing social–emotional skills in children with autism through a comprehensive three‐level meta‐analysis. Methods: A three‐level meta‐analysis was conducted across 20 trials, incorporating 64 effect sizes from 532 children with autism. The primary outcomes include improvements in verbal and non‐verbal communication, social reciprocity, emotional competence and social cognition. Meta‐regression was conducted to identify key moderators. Meta‐power analysis, sensitivity analysis and publication bias tests were conducted to ensure the robustness and reliability of findings. Results and Conclusions: The findings revealed that social robotic‐assisted interventions have a moderate positive effect on social–emotional skills development (g = 0.51), with the greatest effect on social reciprocity (g = 0.72), followed by emotional competence (g = 0.49), verbal communication (g = 0.49), social cognition (g = 0.35), and non‐verbal communication (g = 0.32). Children with more severe ASD symptoms experienced greater improvements, highlighting the potential of robots as assistive tools in inclusive education and personalised learning. Future research should explore the long‐term sustainability and transferability of robotic interventions, technology advancement and integration with other technologies, and their adaptability across different cultural and socioeconomic contexts.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        equations & formulas
        meta analysis
        research
        systematic review
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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