6. Anthropomorphism [an-thruh-puh-mawr-fiz-uhm] The attributing of human characteristics and purposes to inanimate objects, animals, plants, or other natural phenomena, or to God. To describe a rushing river as “angry” is to anthropomorphize it. For the purposes of our studies, Foerst discusses the anthropomorphizing of robots. She will later clarify this statement in Chapter 3. Should play pronunciation .