1. Cognitive Engineering Laboratory
Designing for trust in an automated
decision aid using the abstraction-
decomposition space
Kevin Kan, M.A.Sc. candidate
kan@mie.utoronto.ca
Supervisor: Prof. Greg Jamieson
November 13, 2010

2. Cognitive Engineering Laboratory
Human-automation interaction
• Automation is often designed and introduced
without considering how it will be used
• Users may reject or overuse the automation
• Trust guides automation use; the goal is to have
appropriate trust
• Appropriateness of trust is relative to automation
capability
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3. Cognitive Engineering Laboratory
Basis of trust: communicating
automation capability
• Communicate automation capability to influence trust
• 2 dimensions to capability information:
• How do we gather specific information requirements to
inform interface design for a decision aid?
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Detail
General → Specific
Attributional
abstraction
Purpose
Process
Performance

4. Cognitive Engineering Laboratory
Abstraction-decomposition space
(ADS)
Part-whole decomposition
System Subsystems Components
Levelsofabstraction
Functional
purpose
The goals of the system
Abstract
function
The fundamental laws and flows of the system
Generalized
function
The basic processes performed by the system
Physical
function
The physical components of the system
Physical
form
The location and appearance of the components
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Contains →
← Is a part of
Why?
↑
What?
↓
How?

5. Cognitive Engineering Laboratory
ADS as a description of automation
capability
ADS properties → Aspects of automation capability
Levels of abstraction describe
the same system using different
sets of concepts
→
Different degrees of attributional
abstraction (purpose, process,
performance)
Higher levels of abstraction are
less detailed than lower levels → Different levels of detail
Part-whole decomposition → Different levels of detail
Means-end links connect
levels of abstraction →
How purpose, process, and
performance are related; how to
narrow in on more detail
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6. Cognitive Engineering Laboratory
Intelligent Drinking Water Monitoring
System (IDWMS)
• Sensor sites distributed
throughout a water
distribution network
• Data acquired and
processed to support water
monitoring
• A limited set of sensors
means that operators must
trust the aid appropriately
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7. Cognitive Engineering Laboratory
ADS of the IDWMS capabilities
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8. Cognitive Engineering Laboratory
ADS of the IDWMS capabilities
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9. Cognitive Engineering Laboratory
Conclusion
• There is a need to design for appropriate trust in
automated systems in order to encourage appropriate
use
• We can use the ADS to gather specific information
requirements that describe the capabilities of a
decision aid
• … but what is the appropriate format for displaying the
identified information requirements?
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10. Cognitive Engineering Laboratory
Questions?
Thank you!
Kevin Kan
kan@mie.utoronto.ca
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