Reliability and Age-Related Effects on Trust and Reliance of a Decision Support Aid

Trust has been identified by previous research as a key determinant of automation reliance and usage (Lee Riley, 1996). The effects of automation reliability and age on perceived reliability, trust, and reliance were investigated. A driving-like task was created and the reliability of the automation was manipulated by generating three levels (100%, 80% and 60%). Automation was present in the form of a decision support system that indicated the state of the gauges. Results indicated that high levels of automation reliability lead to increased reliance and higher subjective levels of trust. There were age-related effects on the ability to perceive the reliability of the automation and levels of trust where older adults were more sensitive to the change between 80% and 60% reliability than the younger adults.