What Research Says

How much research actually exists

A 2020 scoping review in the Journal of Medical Internet Research by Nicola Döring, M. Rohangis Mohseni and Roberto Walter, described as the first of its kind, searched across disciplines and databases. It included 29 publications on sex dolls, 17 of them peer reviewed, and 98 on sex robots, 32 of them peer reviewed, published between 1993 and 2019. Most were theoretical papers. The authors found no observational or experimental research using actual dolls or robots as stimulus material, and called for deeper empirical work on risks and on opportunities for sexual and social well-being. That gap means many confident claims in media coverage rest on argument rather than data.

What later reviews added

A 2022 narrative review in Current Sexual Health Reports by Kenneth Hanson and Chloé Locatelli examined 87 scholarly sources on sex dolls, sex robots and personified sex tech. They found that the bulk of research remained theoretical, that it concentrated on North American and European contexts, and that heterosexual men were usually centred as the expected users. The authors described current debates as a contest between fears of escalating harm and hopes of harm reduction, while noting that little research addresses either directly. They called for stronger quantitative data and for samples from outside Western countries, a gap that matters for readers in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

What attitude surveys show

Much of the empirical work so far measures attitudes rather than use. In a survey published in the Journal of Future Robot Life, Marianne Brandon, Nadezhda Shlykova and Abraham Morgentaler asked 309 adults in the United States about sex robots and found limited enthusiasm overall. Men expressed about twice as much curiosity as women and were more likely to imagine romantic feelings towards a robot, while single men showed more interest than married men. Asked whether a partner's use would count as infidelity, 52.7% of women and 42% of men said yes. Surveys like this rest on hypothetical questions, so they reveal expectations and values more than actual behaviour.

Reading new studies with care

When a headline claims that robots ease loneliness or cause harm, look at what was actually studied. Check whether participants used a real device or answered questions about an imagined one, how many took part, where they lived and who funded the work. Small online samples from one country cannot be generalised worldwide. Peer review is a minimum rather than a guarantee, and reviews that pool many papers carry more weight than a single survey. Be wary of company-commissioned research that is not published in full. Finally, notice whose experiences are missing, since reviewers have pointed out that research has centred heterosexual men in Western countries.

Sources and further reading

• Design, Use, and Effects of Sex Dolls and Sex Robots: Scoping Review — Journal of Medical Internet Research.
  The first scoping review of academic work on sex dolls and robots, mapping a mostly theoretical literature.
• From Sex Dolls to Sex Robots and Beyond: A Narrative Review of Theoretical and Empirical Research on Human-like and Personified Sex Tech — Current Sexual Health Reports (Springer).
  A 2022 review of 87 sources finding research still mostly theoretical and centred on Western contexts.
• Curiosity and other attitudes towards sex robots: Results of an online survey — Journal of Future Robot Life.
  US survey of 309 adults on curiosity about sex robots, with clear differences between men and women.

Common questions

Which journals publish research on sex robots?

Studies appear across several disciplines, including sexology, psychology, ethics, medicine and human-robot interaction. Examples include the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Current Sexual Health Reports, the Journal of Future Robot Life and the Journal of Medical Ethics.

How can I take part in research on intimacy technology?

Universities sometimes advertise anonymous surveys through psychology or sexology departments. Before joining, read the information sheet, check that an ethics committee approved the study, and confirm how your answers will be stored and anonymised.