The development of increasingly proficient robots for participating in joint actions with humans has paralleled the tremendous increase of research in Human-Robot Interactions (HRI) over the last few decades. However, ensuring fluid interactions and maintaining human motivation through the various levels of collaborative activity has proven to be a substantial difficulty. The current study presents several viewpoints derived from psychology and philosophy illustrating the crucial importance of communication in human interactions after analysing current literature on joint action in HRI, leading to a more specific explanation of these problems. We suggest that communicative cues can help with coordination, prediction, and motivation in the context of collaborative action, from individual recognition to the expression of commitment and social expectations.
