Defense Acquisition Research Journal Issue 95

Technology Trust

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2. How do varying levels of system control affect the development of trust in technologies used in high-risk military applications? The constructs researched include:

° Perceived ease of use ° Perceived usefulness ° Intent to use

3. Does a causal relationship exist between an anthropomorphic hierarchy of system information and the acceptance of auton omous systems?

Literature Review This article was initiated through informal interviews that attempted to identify the factors that contribute to the use of technology in high-risk environments. The participants were a small group of military personnel who have deployed with technology that posed great risk of physical harm should it fail. A majority of this group experienced significant injury due to the failure of technology, and the potential for bias was noted. A series of open-ended questions were provided to discuss what the users did or did not like about using technology in high-risk scenarios. The initial coding of interviews revealed the following three exploratory research themes: 1. Hands-on experience with technology is critical for establish ing trust, and a team-based reputation for a technology is as important as personal experience. 2. Personal investment in a mission is key to learning and accept ing new and complex technology. 3. Users operating in high-risk environments favor simple tech nology containing only the features needed to accomplish a mission and may reject new and complex technology in favor of older and more trusted systems.

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Defense ARJ, January 2021, Vol. 28 No. 1 : 2-39