Dr. Maartje De Graaf

Biography

Maartje de Graaf is an Associate Professor at Utrecht University specializing in Human-Computer Interaction and Communication Science. Her research focuses on human perceptions of robots, particularly the occurrences of robotic error, and its effects on human-robot interactions. With a strong interest in understanding how people respond emotionally and cognitively to robots, her work emphasizes the development of strategies that equip robots with coping mechanisms for various scenarios. Through her investigations, she has demonstrated that increased anthropomorphic attributions to robots positively correlate with long-term acceptance. De Graaf’s future research aims to facilitate the progressive integration of robots into societal frameworks and to optimize human-robot collaborations. Before joining Utrecht University, she served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Twente and Brown University, where she furthered her insights into the dynamics of human-robot interactions. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Communication Management in 2005, a Master of Science in Media Communication in 2011, and a PhD in Communication Science focusing on Human-Robot Interaction in 2015.

Research Interests

Experience