Human-Automation Trust Development as a Function of Automation Exposure, Familiarity, and Perceived Risk: A High-Fidelity Remotely Operated Aircraft Simulation

Trust development will play a critical role in remote vehicle operations transitioning from automated (e.g., requiring human oversight) to autonomous systems. Factors that affect trust development were collected during a high-fidelity remote uncrewed aerial system (UAS) simulation. Six UAS operators participated in this study, which consisted of 17 trials across two days per participant. Trust in two highly automated systems were measured pre- and post-study. Perceived risk and familiarity with the systems were measured before the study. Main effects showed performance-based trust and purpose-based trust increased between the pre- and post-study measurements. System familiarity predicted process-based trust. An interaction indicated that operators who rated the systems as riskier showed an increase in a single-item trust scale between the pre- and post-study measurement, whereas participants that rated the systems as less risky maintained a higher trust rating. Individual differences showed operators adapted to why the automation was being used, and trust improved between measurements. Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses revealed themes related to behavioral responses of the aircraft and transparency issues with the automated systems. Results can be used to support training interventions and design recommendations for appropriate trust in increasingly autonomous remote operations, as well as guide future research.