Perceived stigma and erotic technology: From sex toys to erobots

ABSTRACT

The intersection of technology and sexuality in sex toys and erobots – artificial erotic agents (e.g. sex robots) – may generate stigma with their use. However, despite the growing prevalence of technology in human sexuality, researchers have yet to examine this stigma. Hence, this study provides the first quantitative evidence of perceived stigma related to erotic technology use (PSETU) and its association with people’s willingness to engage with erotic technologies. Based on previous research, we hypothesised that PSETU exists and increases as a function of products’ human-likeness (Hypothesis 1), and negatively correlates to participants’ willingness to engage with erotic technologies (Hypothesis 2), with stronger associations for women and sex toys and stronger associations for men and erobots (Hypothesis 3). A convenience sample of 365 adults (≥18 years; with access to the recruitment material) completed an online survey measuring their PSETU for sex toys, erotic chatbots, virtual partners, and sex robots, and their willingness to engage with these technologies. The results support Hypothesis 1, and partly support Hypotheses 2–3. Women and men also perceive the same technology-related stigma. These findings are important given the prevalence of sex toys, the advent of erobots, and the potential impact of stigma on their (future) users.

KEYWORDS:

• Perceived stigma
• sex toys
• erobots
• erobotics
• willingness to engage

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank members of the Concordia Vision Labs and the Research on Sexuality, Violence, and Personality Lab for their insightful feedback throughout the process of writing this manuscript. The authors would also like to thank Concordia University, the Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS), and FRQSC, and the Fonds de Recherche du Québec – Société et Culture for financially supporting the doctoral research activities and training of Simon Dubé and Maria Santaguida.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The anonymized data related to this article are available on the Open Science Framework (OSF) at: https://osf.io/4ym75/

Additional information

Notes on contributors

S. Dubé

S. Dubé is a PhD candidate in Psychology at Concordia University. His doctoral work focuses on human sexuality, technology, and erobotics – the study of human-machine erotic interaction and co-evolution.

M. Santaguida

M. Santaguida is a PhD candidate in Psychology at Concordia University. Their doctoral work investigates the acute effects of alcohol consumption on risky sexual decision-making, as well as subjective and psychophysiological responses to visual sexual stimuli. Their research interests focus on the biopsychosocial mechanisms underlying sexual risk-taking and sexually aggressive behaviours.

D. Anctil

D. Anctil, PhD, is Professor at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf and affiliate researcher at the International Observatory on the Societal Impacts of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology (OBVIA). His research focuses on responsible artificial intelligence, social robotics, Complex Systems Theory, Human-Machine Interaction, and erobotics.

C. Y. Zhu

C. Zhu is pursuing a BA in Honours Psychology at Concordia University. As a research assistant in the Concordia Vision Labs, she has contributed to several projects that focus on stigma and erobotics.

L. Thomasse

L. Thomasse completed her BA in Honours Psychology at Concordia University and is now a Master Candidate in Clinical Psychology at L’École de Psychologues Praticiens in France. As a research assistant in the Concordia Vision Labs, she has contributed to several projects that focus on sexual preferences, stigma, and erobotics.

L. Giaccari

L. Giaccari completed their BA in Psychology at Concordia University, with an honours thesis in Behavioral Neuroscience. As a research assistant in the Concordia Vision Labs, they contributed to several projects related to erobotics and space sexology.

R. Oassey

R. Oassey is pursuing a BA in Honours Psychology at Concordia University. As a research assistant in the Concordia Vision Labs, she has contributed to several projects that focus on the motivations to engage with sex robots, stigma, and erobotics.

D. Vachon

D. Vachon, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill University. His research in sexuality, violence, and personality examines the contribution of individual differences to deviance across the lifespan (e.g., empathy).

A. Johnson

A. Johnson, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at Concordia University. His research investigates human vision in real-world environments while performing real-world tasks. His research spans a range of areas from low-level computational models of vision, to applied research in the fields of marketing, aviation, low vision rehabilitation, and human sexuality.