Behavioral analysis to reveal differences between trained and untrained caregivers in robot therapy

Robot therapy, with PARO being a prominent, has become an effective intervention in elderly care, where caregivers play an important role in patient engagement during therapy. This study analyzes caregiver behavior to reveal behavioral parameters associated with caregiving skill in delivering robot therapy using PARO. The analysis parameters included physical activity of caregivers and patients during therapy, facial gaze, eye level between caregiver and patient, and PARO face orientation. Using a vision-based activity recognition system, observational data were collected from 24 novice caregivers (12 trained, 12 untrained) and 6 elderly participants, with statistical analysis (Mann-Whitney U tests) confirming significant differences in interaction behavior between trained and untrained caregivers. The results showed that trained caregivers demonstrated specific technical skills, including holding PARO longer during introductions, delaying the initial placement of PARO, sustaining facial gaze, maintaining longer eye contact, and dynamically adjusting PARO's position based on patient cues. Although trained caregivers tended to maintain a smaller eye-level difference with patients on average, this difference was not statistically significant. These findings indicate that formal caregiving education is associated with systematic differences in interaction behavior, even at a pre-professional stage. The study contributes a quantitative framework for identifying foundational behavioral markers related to caregiving skill in robot therapy, rather than evaluating clinical efficacy.