The effects of automation-induced complacency on fault diagnosis and management performance in process control

Operators of automated systems can develop complacency, impairing their ability to respond in a timely and appropriate fashion when automation fails. This study sought to examine the impact of an instructional manipulation of attentiveness, in terms of engagement and accountability, on fault diagnosis and fault management. Participants trained on the operation of a simulated process control task, with instructions varied to induce higher or lower attentiveness to the task. After several routine faults within the system, a fault occurred along with a failure of a previously available diagnostic and management aid, and shortly after a second failure occurred. The first failure was associated with significant impairment of diagnosis and management, but comparatively few differences between attentiveness groups. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for a model of human-automation interaction.