Air Traffic Controller Trust In Automation In Nextgen

NextGen introduces new automated tools to help air traffic controllers (ATCos) manage the projected increase in air traffic over the next decades. Assuring that ATCos have an appropriate level of trust in automation is critical to establishing the proper use of these automated technologies. The current study examined differences between subjective trust scales used to examine air traffic controller's trust in automation levels and the relationship of these trust metrics to ATCo behaviors. The study was carried out at the Center for Human Factors in Advanced Aeronautics Technologies (CHAAT) over the course of a 16-week internship involving twelve student ATCos. Results indicated that the Modified Human-Automation Trust Scale (M-HAT) was sensitive to changes in trust levels over the course of the internship. Student ATCos scoring high on the trust scale showed reduced situation awareness (SA) during high traffic density scenarios compared to students who scored low on the trust scale, possibly due to automation-induced complacency. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.