title: System reliability, performance and trust in adaptable automation.
abstract: The present study examined the effects of reduced system reliability on operator performance and automation management in an adaptable automation environment. 39 operators were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups: low (60%), medium (80%), and high (100%) reliability of automation support. The support system provided five incremental levels of automation which operators could freely select according to their needs. After 3 h of training on a simulated process control task (AutoCAMS) in which the automation worked infallibly, operator performance and automation management were measured during a 2.5-h testing session. Trust and workload were also assessed through questionnaires. Results showed that although reduced system reliability resulted in lower levels of trust towards automation, there were no corresponding differences in the operators' reliance on automation. While operators showed overall a noteworthy ability to cope with automation failure, there were, however, decrements in diagnostic speed and prospective memory with lower reliability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland. Electronic address: alain.chavaillaz@unifr.ch.
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chavaillaz
authors.affiliation: Division of Operations Management and Information Systems, Nottingham University Business School, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wastell
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sauer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001331:Automation / Q000592:standards*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adaptable automation; Performance; Reliability; Trust