Opening Psychosocial Discussions on Multi-Human-Robot Work Teams

Which teams are most likely to welcome a collaborative robot? Intuitively, cohesive teams should integrate cobots more readily. Our initial findings suggest otherwise. This exploratory study examines how individual dispositions (cooperativeness, competitiveness, attitudes toward robots) and perceived team climate influence anticipatory perceptions of cobot integration. Triads of participants (N=18) completed simulated assembly tasks before evaluating a hypothetical scenario where a cobot joins their team. We assessed discomfort with human–robot teamwork and perceived role changes (threat vs. enhancement). Counterintuitively, participants experiencing stronger collaborative climates reported heightened resistance. We interpret this as team protectiveness: the better the collaboration, the more there is to lose from structural disruption. Additionally, negative robot attitudes emerged as stronger barriers than positive attitudes as facilitators—an asymmetry critical for intervention design. We discuss a psychosocial research agenda for understanding when cooperative teams welcome versus resist robotic teammates.