Measuring trust in artificial intelligence: validation of an established scale and its short form

An understanding of the nature and function of human trust in artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamental to the safe and effective integration of these technologies into organizational settings. The Trust in Automation Scale is a commonly used self-report measure of trust in automated systems; howe...

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Main Authors: Melanie J. McGrath, Oliver Lack, James Tisch, Andreas Duenser
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-05-01
Series:Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frai.2025.1582880/full
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author Melanie J. McGrath
Oliver Lack
James Tisch
Andreas Duenser
author_facet Melanie J. McGrath
Oliver Lack
James Tisch
Andreas Duenser
author_sort Melanie J. McGrath
collection DOAJ
description An understanding of the nature and function of human trust in artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamental to the safe and effective integration of these technologies into organizational settings. The Trust in Automation Scale is a commonly used self-report measure of trust in automated systems; however, it has not yet been subjected to comprehensive psychometric validation. Across two studies, we tested the capacity of the scale to effectively measure trust across a range of AI applications. Results indicate that the Trust in Automation Scale is a valid and reliable measure of human trust in AI; however, with 12 items, it is often impractical for contexts requiring frequent and minimally disruptive measurements. To address this limitation, we developed and validated a three-item version of the TIAS, the Short Trust in Automation Scale (S-TIAS). In two further studies, we tested the sensitivity of the S-TIAS to manipulations of the trustworthiness of an AI system, as well as the convergent validity of the scale and its capacity to predict intentions to rely on AI-generated recommendations. In both studies, the S-TIAS also demonstrated convergent validity and significantly predicted intentions to rely on the AI system in patterns similar to the TIAS. This suggests that the S-TIAS is a practical and valid alternative for measuring trust in automation and AI for the purposes of identifying antecedent factors of trust and predicting trust outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-9a1e6e4798874e28bf1e9c1e2f36e5bd2025-08-20T02:15:16ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence2624-82122025-05-01810.3389/frai.2025.15828801582880Measuring trust in artificial intelligence: validation of an established scale and its short formMelanie J. McGrath0Oliver Lack1James Tisch2Andreas Duenser3Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Clayton, VIC, AustraliaSchool of Psychology & Australian Institute for Machine Learning, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, AustraliaSchool of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Sandy Bay, TAS, AustraliaAn understanding of the nature and function of human trust in artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamental to the safe and effective integration of these technologies into organizational settings. The Trust in Automation Scale is a commonly used self-report measure of trust in automated systems; however, it has not yet been subjected to comprehensive psychometric validation. Across two studies, we tested the capacity of the scale to effectively measure trust across a range of AI applications. Results indicate that the Trust in Automation Scale is a valid and reliable measure of human trust in AI; however, with 12 items, it is often impractical for contexts requiring frequent and minimally disruptive measurements. To address this limitation, we developed and validated a three-item version of the TIAS, the Short Trust in Automation Scale (S-TIAS). In two further studies, we tested the sensitivity of the S-TIAS to manipulations of the trustworthiness of an AI system, as well as the convergent validity of the scale and its capacity to predict intentions to rely on AI-generated recommendations. In both studies, the S-TIAS also demonstrated convergent validity and significantly predicted intentions to rely on the AI system in patterns similar to the TIAS. This suggests that the S-TIAS is a practical and valid alternative for measuring trust in automation and AI for the purposes of identifying antecedent factors of trust and predicting trust outcomes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frai.2025.1582880/fulltrustartificial intelligenceautomationhuman-AI teamingcollaborative intelligencepsychometrics
spellingShingle Melanie J. McGrath
Oliver Lack
James Tisch
Andreas Duenser
Measuring trust in artificial intelligence: validation of an established scale and its short form
Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence
trust
artificial intelligence
automation
human-AI teaming
collaborative intelligence
psychometrics
title Measuring trust in artificial intelligence: validation of an established scale and its short form
title_full Measuring trust in artificial intelligence: validation of an established scale and its short form
title_fullStr Measuring trust in artificial intelligence: validation of an established scale and its short form
title_full_unstemmed Measuring trust in artificial intelligence: validation of an established scale and its short form
title_short Measuring trust in artificial intelligence: validation of an established scale and its short form
title_sort measuring trust in artificial intelligence validation of an established scale and its short form
topic trust
artificial intelligence
automation
human-AI teaming
collaborative intelligence
psychometrics
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frai.2025.1582880/full
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AT andreasduenser measuringtrustinartificialintelligencevalidationofanestablishedscaleanditsshortform