Behavioral Measurement of Trust in Automation: The Trust Fall

Stating that one trusts a system is markedly different from demonstrating that trust. To investigate trust in automation, we introduce the trust fall: a two-stage behavioral test of trust. In the trust fall paradigm, first the one learns the capabilities of the system, and in the second phase, the ‘fall,’ one’s choices demonstrate trust or distrust. Our first studies using this method suggest the value of measuring behaviors that demonstrate trust, compared with self-reports of one’s trust. Designing interfaces that encourage appropriate trust in automation will be critical for the safe and successful deployment of partially automated vehicles, and this will rely on a solid understanding of whether these interfaces actually inspire trust and encourage supervision.