The paper presents an experiment on the effects of adaptive emotional alignment between agents, considered a prerequisite for empathic communication, in Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). Using the NAO robot, we investigate the impact of an emotionally aligned, empathic, dialogue on these aspects: (i) the robot's persuasive effectiveness, (ii) the user's communication style, and (iii) the attribution of mental states and empathy to the robot. In an experiment with 42 participants, two conditions were compared: one with neutral communication and another where the robot provided responses adapted to the emotions expressed by the users. The results show that emotional alignment does not influence users' communication styles or have a persuasive effect. However, it significantly influences attribution of mental states to the robot and its perceived empathy

There is a general consensus that body movements and postures provide important cues for idennullfying emonullonal states, parnullcularly when facial and vocal signals are unavailable [1]. Emonullonal Body Language (EBL) is rapidly emerging as a significant area of research within cogninullve and affecnullve neuroscience. According to De Gelder [10], numerous valuable insights into human emonullon and its neurobiological foundanullons have been derived from the study of facial expressions. Indeed certain emonullons are more effecnullvely conveyed through facial expressions, while others are benuller commun icated through body movements or a combinanullon of both. Gestures provide observable cues that can be instrumental in recognizing and interprenullng a user's emonullonal state, especially in the absence of verbal or facial signals.