The Effect of Incorrect Reliability Information on Expectations, Perceptions, and Use of Automation

<jats:sec><jats:title>Objective:</jats:title><jats:p> We examined how providing artificially high or low statements about automation reliability affected expectations, perceptions, and use of automation over time. </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Background:</jats:title><jats:p> One common method of introducing automation is providing explicit statements about the automation’s capabilities. Research is needed to understand how expectations from such introductions affect perceptions and use of automation. </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Method:</jats:title><jats:p> Explicit-statement introductions were manipulated to set higher-than (90%), same-as (75%), or lower-than (60%) levels of expectations in a dual-task scenario with 75% reliable automation. Two experiments were conducted to assess expectations, perceptions, compliance, reliance, and task performance over (a) 2 days and (b) 4 days. </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results:</jats:title><jats:p> The baseline assessments showed initial expectations of automation reliability matched introduced levels of expectation. For the duration of each experiment, the lower-than groups’ perceptions were lower than the actual automation reliability. However, the higher-than groups’ perceptions were no different from actual automation reliability after Day 1 in either study. There were few differences between groups for automation use, which generally stayed the same or increased with experience using the system. </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion:</jats:title><jats:p> Introductory statements describing artificially low automation reliability have a long-lasting impact on perceptions about automation performance. Statements including incorrect automation reliability do not appear to affect use of automation. </jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Application:</jats:title><jats:p> Introductions should be designed according to desired outcomes for expectations, perceptions, and use of the automation. Low expectations have long-lasting effects. </jats:p></jats:sec>