cs.ROMar 26, 2026

A Mentalistic Interface for Probing Folk-Psychological Attribution to Non-Humanoid Robots

Authors: Giulio Pisaneschi, Pierpaolo Serio, Estelle Gerbier, Andrea Dan Ryals, Lorenzo Pollini, Mario G. C. A. Cimino

Organizations: Institute of Clinical Physiology National Research Council, Pisa, Italy. · Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. · Delft University of Technology, Delft, Netherlands.

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Abstract

This paper presents an experimental platform for studying intentional-state attribution toward a non-humanoid robot. The system combines a simulated robot, realistic task environments, and large language model-based explanatory layers that can express the same behavior in mentalistic, teleological, or mechanistic terms. By holding behavior constant while varying the explanatory frame, the platform provides a controlled way to investigate how language and framing shape the adoption of the intentional stance in robotics.

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Fig. 1 : Architecture of the proposed platform.
Fig. 2 : Plan view (top row) and camera view (bottom row) corresponding to the story settled in the bookstore environment.
Fig. 3 : Plain view (top row) and camera view (bottom row) corresponding to the story settled in the small house environment.
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