Feelings, Functions, Familiarity: A Bibliometric Analysis of Psychological Ownership in Human-AI Interactions

Artificial intelligence and robots are evolving rapidly, transforming the way people use technology. Nowadays, technology does more than just basic tasks; moving beyond mere functionality to emotional and psychological connections. Previous research reveals that psychological ownership plays a critical role in shaping user engagement, trust, and long-term adoption of AI-powered devices and robots. This feeling of ownership influences the way people trust and use AI powered devices and robots as well as the way people feel about them. The design of these technologies, including customization, interactivity, and anthropomorphic features, significantly influences how individuals relate to them, fostering a sense of ownership that can enhance user attachment and integration into daily routines. This research performs a bibliometric analysis of publications from Web of Science and identifies relevant studies for the key words “artificial intelligence”, “robots”, “ownership” and “psychological ownership”. The methodology includes keyword searches, trend analysis, and visual mapping of research themes using VOS Viewer. The results indicate a significant increase in academic interest in these topics, particularly from 2020 onward, with AI emerging as the dominant focus in recent years. The findings indicate that AI systems enhancing user control, personalization, and transparency foster stronger psychological ownership, improving consumer trust, satisfaction, and willingness to adopt AI-based services. The study highlights ethical concerns, such as responsibility in AI-driven decision making and the psychological impact of human-like AI on consumer behavior.