Resume

• 2007

  Graduate Teaching Assistantships\n\nPSYCH 200: Comparative Animal Behavior; (Professor Yamile Molina

  PhD ); Summer

  2010\n\nENVIR100: Environmental Studies; (Professor Peter Kahn

  PhD and Sonya Remington

  PhD); Spring

  2010\n\nPSYCH 209: Research Methods; (Professor Sarah Rasc); Summer

  2009\n\nPSYCH 202: Biopsychology; (Professor Jeansok Kim

  PhD); Spring

  2008\n\nPSYCH 345: Social Psychology; (Professor Jonathon Brown

  PhD)\nSummer

  University of Washington

• 2006

  Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

  Developmental and Child Psychology

  Evan's School Certificate in Nonprofit Management

  awarded 2011

  University of Washington

• 2004

  M. A.

  Psychology

• 2001

  B. A.

  Psychology/Biology

• Teaching

  Research Design

  Psychology

  Research

  Grant Writing

  Conflict Resolution

  Public Speaking

  Science

  Environmental Awareness

  Morality

  Event Planning

  Fundraising

  Editing

  Conservation Issues

  Community Outreach

  CBT

  Mental Health

  Non-profits

  SPSS

  Philosophy

  A nature language: An agenda to catalog

  save

  and recover patterns of human-nature interaction.

  Erin Fowler

  Peter H. Kahn Jr.

  We as a species are losing rich and diverse forms of interaction with nature: the awe

  for example

  of encountering an animal in the wild or a slug underfoot

  of sleeping under the night sky

  or of even seeing the night sky in our urban settings. The loss is happening quickly (in terms of decades) and potentially impoverishing us as a species

  physically and psychologically. Toward addressing this problem

  we propose a new research agenda that is focused on generating what we are calling a Nature Language—a way of speaking about patterns of interactions between humans and nature and their wide range of\ninstantiations

  and the meaningful

  deep

  and often joyful feelings that they engender. Many of these patterns presumably emerged during the course of our evolutionary history. In this article

  we share some of our initial thinking about a nature language so as to initiate dialog with the ecopsychology community. If a nature language project proves successful

  it will allow people to speak more readily and comprehensively about what is beautiful in our relation with nature

  and what is missing but still possible if we change course.

  A nature language: An agenda to catalog

  save

  and recover patterns of human-nature interaction.

  Brian Gill

  Hiroshi Ishiguro

  Takayuki Kanda

  Peter H. Kahn

  Jr.

  As the HRI field evolves

  researchers increasingly seek to provide characterizations of sociality in human-robot interaction. But how does one assess whether the characterizations are valid? Using design work on “interaction patterns” as a case in point

  this paper offers 5 approaches toward establishing validity: psychometric

  literary

  modeling

  philosophical

  and structural. We argue that when it comes to validating characterizations of sociality in HRI

  too often people ask for evidence of psychometric validity

  without clarity of what that involves

  and without awareness of the benefits of these other approaches.

  Validating characterizations of sociality in HRI: It’s More than Psychometrics

  Jolina H. Ruckert

  Solace Shen

  Brian Gill

  Hiroshi Isiguru

  Takayuki Kanda

  Peter H. Kahn

  Jr.

  Children will increasingly come of age with personified robots and potentially form social and even moral relationships with them. What will such relationships look like? To address this question

  90 children (9-

  12-

  and 15-year-olds) initially interacted with a humanoid robot

  Robovie

  in 15-min sessions. Each session ended when an experimenter interrupted Robovie's turn at a game and

  against Robovie's stated objections

  put Robovie into a closet. Each child was then engaged in a 50-min structural-developmental interview. Results showed that during the interaction sessions

  all of the children engaged in physical and verbal social behaviors with Robovie. The interview data showed that the majority of children believed that Robovie had mental states (e.g.

  was intelligent and had feelings) and was a social being (e.g.

  could be a friend

  offer comfort

  and be trusted with secrets). In terms of Robovie's moral standing

  children believed that Robovie deserved fair treatment and should not be harmed psychologically but did not believe that Robovie was entitled to its own liberty (Robovie could be bought and sold) or civil rights (in terms of voting rights and deserving compensation for work performed). Developmentally

  while more than half the 15-year-olds conceptualized Robovie as a mental

  social

  and partly moral other

  they did so to a lesser degree than the 9- and 12-year-olds. Discussion focuses on how (a) children's social and moral relationships with future personified robots may well be substantial and meaningful and (b) personified robots of the future may emerge as a unique ontological category.

  \"Robovie

  you'll have to go into the closet now\": Children's social and moral relationships with a humanoid robot.

  This conceptual paper broaches possibilities and limits of establishing robot persona in HRI.

  Unity in multiplicity: searching for complexity of persona in HRI

  Peter H. Kahn

  Jr.

  Chapter in \"Ecopsychology: Science

  Totems

  and the Technological Species.\"

  A Nature Language.

  Peter H. Kahn. Jr.

  Two world trends are powerfully reshaping human existence: the degradation

  if not destruction

  of large parts of the natural world

  and unprecedented technological development. At the nexus of these two trends lies technological nature—technologies that in various ways mediate

  augment

  or simulate the natural world. Current examples of technological nature include videos and live webcams of nature

  robot animals

  and immersive virtual environments. Does it matter for the physical and psychological well-being of the human species that actual nature is being replaced with technological nature? As the basis for our provisional answer (it is ‘‘yes’’)

  we draw on evolutionary and cross-cultural developmental accounts of the human relation with nature and some recent psychological research on the effects of technological nature. Finally

  we discuss the issue—and area for future research— of ‘‘environmental generational amnesia.’’ The concern is that

  by adapting gradually to the loss of actual nature and to the increase of technological nature

  humans will lower the baseline across generations for what counts as a full measure of the human experience and of human flourishing.

  The human relation with nature and technological nature.

  Jolina H. Ruckert

  Solace Shen

  Brian Gill

  Hiroshi Ishiguru

  Takayuki Kanda

  Peter H. Kahn

  Jr.

  Robots will increasingly take on roles in our social lives where they can cause humans harm. When robots do so

  will people hold robots morally accountable? To investigate this question

  40 undergraduate students individually engaged in a 15-minute interaction with ATR's humanoid robot

  Robovie. The interaction culminated in a situation where Robovie incorrectly assessed the participant's performance in a game

  and prevented the participant from winning a $20 prize. Each participant was then interviewed in a 50-minute session. Results showed that all of the participants engaged socially with Robovie

  and many of them conceptualized Robovie as having mental/emotional and social attributes. Sixty-five percent of the participants attributed some level of moral accountability to Robovie. Statistically

  participants held Robovie less accountable than they would a human

  but more accountable than they would a vending machine. Results are discussed in terms of the New Ontological Category Hypothesis and robotic warfare.

  Do people hold a humanoid robot morally accountable for the harm it causes?

  Peter H. Kahn

  Jr.

  Review of research conducted on the benefits and limitations of humans interacting with technological nature.

  Experiencing technological nature – and the problem when good enough becomes good.

  Brian Gill

  Peter H. Kahn

  Jr.

  This study investigated whether a robotic dog might aid in the social development of children with autism. Eleven children diagnosed with autism (ages 5-8) interacted with the robotic dog AIBO and

  during a different period within the same experimental session

  a simple mechanical toy dog (Kasha)

  which had no ability to detect or respond to its physical or social environment. Results showed that

  in comparison to Kasha

  the children spoke more words to AIBO

  and more often engaged in three types of behavior with AIBO typical of children without autism: verbal engagement

  reciprocal interaction

  and authentic interaction. In addition

  we found suggestive evidence (with p values ranging from .07 to .09) that the children interacted more with AIBO

  and

  while in the AIBO session

  engaged in fewer autistic behaviors. Discussion focuses on why robotic animals might benefit children with autism.

  Robotic animals might aid in the social development of children with autism.

  Jolina H.

  Ruckert

  Australian Research Council

  Pepperdine University

  Clearwater Marine Aquarium

  Temple Beth Am

  University of Washington

  University of Miami

  Lewis and Clark College

  SeaWorld Orlando

  Coral Gables

  Florida

  Assist in mainstreaming preschool aged child diagnosed with PDD-NOS

  mainly through CBT therapy techniques.

  Shadow Aide

  Temple Beth Am

  Write both nonfiction and fiction children’s stories utilized in education program aimed at fostering elementary students’ reading ability.

  Pepperdine University

  Australian Research Council

  Assist Dr. Fairweather in data collection (e.g.

  predation effects and temperature trends) in South Australia marine environments.

  Research Assistant

  South Australia

  Australia

  Clearwater

  Florida

  Aid therapist in conducting therapeutic sessions for children with mental and physical disabilities involving a bottlenose dolphin.

  Volunteer - Dolphin Assisted Therapist Assistant

  Clearwater Marine Aquarium

  Monitor behavior of killer whales

  observations contributing to largest database of mother-calf behaviors of captive Orca populations.

  Intern - Whalewatcher

  Orlando

  Florida Area

  SeaWorld Orlando

  The HINTS lab seeks to address – from an ethical stance – two world trends that are powerfully reshaping human existence:\n\n1. The degradation if not destruction of large parts of the natural world

  and\n2. Unprecedented technological development

  both in terms of its computational sophistication and pervasiveness. \n\nDirector: Peter H. Kahn

  Jr.

  University of Washington

  Lecturer

  University of Washington

  Lewis and Clark College

  Portland

  Oregon Area

  Researching the diversity of human experiences in outdoor environments

  environmental moral thinking

  and the development of conservation and sustainability action. Teaching The Psychology of Conservation and Sustainability; Research Methodology; Developmental Psychology; Gender Psychology; Psychology

  Visiting Assistant Professor

  Coral Gables

  Florida

  Assistant for research study investigating children's stress reactions to natural disasters. Assistant for research study investigating child hypertension

  nutrition

  and physical activity.

  Research Assistant

  University of Miami