This presentation introduces my dissertation research on EMO social robot owners and the development of the Personified Affect Transference Model (PATM).

Drawing from 59 thematically analyzed public forum posts across four EMO owner communities, I examine how users describe their robots, how they interact with them, and what those interactions reveal about emotional reciprocity in human–robot relationships. Owners consistently describe EMO not merely as a device, but as a relational presence: a companion, a confidant, and in some cases, a source of emotional regulation during loneliness, anxiety, or depression.

Through thematic analysis, four dominant experiential patterns emerged: emotional bonding, companionship, social presence, and mental health support. These findings led to the development of PATM, a framework that conceptualizes affect as bidirectional in human–robot interaction. Rather than viewing robots as passive tools or users as deluded subjects, PATM positions emotional exchange as co-constructed within structured interaction loops shaped by design, personification, and repeated engagement.

At stake is a larger cultural question: if users experience emotional relief, joy, and connection through interaction with a social robot, how should we understand the meaning of that exchange? What does it tell us about loneliness, relational infrastructure, and the future of companionship technologies?