A Model of Trust and Reliance of Automation Technology for Older Users

To address the growing needs for care for our aging population, both the public and private sectors are turning to advanced technologies to facilitate or automate aspects of caregiving. The user, who is often an older adult, must now appropriately trust and rely upon the technology to perform its task accurately. However, there is reason to believe that older adults may be more susceptible to unreliable technologies. This paper reviews the work on trust and complacency with older adults and examines the cognitive reasons why older adults are more at risk from faulty technologies. Lessons learned from Honeywell’s Independent LifeStyle Assistant (I.L.S.A.) are discussed with respect to new high-level requirements for future designs.