Hard to Resist Quicker Decisions: How Response Time Shapes Conformity in Human–Robot Hybrid Groups

As robots become increasingly integrated into daily life, researchers have begun to examine how they shape social influence and conformity in human–robot hybrid groups. However, prior work has focused almost exclusively on decision outcomes–the answers group members provide–while overlooking how decision time may also influence conformity. Across three studies, we investigate how the response time of human and robot group members shapes individuals' conformity. We find that faster group decisions increase conformity, whereas slower decisions reduce it. Importantly, fast responses exert a stronger influence when they come from human rather than robot group members, an effect driven by differences in perceived confidence. These findings underscore the critical role of response time and responder identity (human or robot) in shaping conformity, expanding our understanding of social influence in human–robot interactions, and opening new avenues for future research.