About the CHAT Lab

The Children and Technology (CHAT) Lab at Tennessee Tech University investigates how children understand, interact with, and reason about technologies—especially social robots and AI-driven systems. Our research explores how young learners make sense of increasingly social technologies and how these interactions shape their beliefs, decisions, and social worlds.

As technology becomes more integrated into daily life, children are encountering robots, smart devices, and AI earlier and more often than ever before. The CHAT Lab seeks to understand how children interpret these technologies:

• What mental states do they attribute to robots?

• How do they decide whether robots are real, social, or intentional agents?

• How do these beliefs influence learning, trust, and moral reasoning?

We believe that understanding children’s perspectives is essential for guiding them through a world where technology is increasingly social—and for helping families feel confident as these new tools become part of everyday life.