Research on Trust and Social Perception

This paper explores the diverse perceptions and experiences of AI in care homes from the perspectives of care staff, advocates, and AI developers. 1️⃣ By integrating sociological theories of trust and care, the study reveals how AI's role in care homes is marked by both potential and ambivalence. 2️⃣ The findings highlight different understandings of "good care," influenced by whether care is perceived as "warm" (human) or "cold" (technological), and how trust in AI varies based on stakeholders' experiences and contexts. 3️⃣ The study identifies a tension between "warm" human care and "cold" AI-based care, particularly among care staff who worry about AI's potential to dehumanize care. 4️⃣ Care staff expressed concerns that AI might be more suited to clinical tasks rather than social or emotional care, reinforcing a divide between "cold" and "warm" care. 5️⃣ Despite these concerns, there is recognition that AI could complement human care by taking over mundane tasks, thus allowing staff to focus more on personal interactions with residents. 6️⃣ The study finds that trust in AI within care homes is complex and influenced by experiential knowledge, with care staff often skeptical due to a lack of familiarity and concerns about accountability. 7️⃣ AI developers and advocates see AI as a tool for integrating care, enhancing efficiency, and improving resident autonomy, though they acknowledge the challenge of aligning technological solutions with the specific needs and contexts of care homes. ✍🏻 Neves BB, Omori M, Petersen A, Vered M, Carter A. Navigating artificial intelligence in care homes: Competing stakeholder views of trust and logics of care. Social Science & Medicine. 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117187

🔬 Paper Alert: Trust in AI is not built in isolation – it’s social. 🤖 Proud supervisor moment: My (and Simon B. de Jong´s) doctoral student Türkü Erengin has just published her very first paper, "You, Me, and the AI: The Role of Third-Party Human Teammates for Trust Formation Toward AI Teammates," in Wiley´s Journal of Organizational Behavior. 🤖 So, what does this research tell us? AI teammates are becoming a reality in modern workplaces. But while research has focused on how humans individually evaluate AI, Türkü’s work brings a fresh perspective: trust in AI is shaped severely by and learned from the people around us. Using two main (+ two supplementary) studies including a really cool observational, incentivized study with human-AI teams (including real GPT-powered physical service robot Temi, see picture)—this paper shows that: ✅ If a human teammate trusts an AI, their colleagues are more likely to trust it too. This effect is not only quite strong, it is also stable when controlling for people´s own, initial preferences after trying the AI the first time and holds true in contexts where actual money is on the table! ✅ This effect disappears if the human teammate themselves is seen as untrustworthy. ✅ Trust in AI is not just about the AI's own reliability—it depends on social context and human relationships. 🚀 Why does this matter? 1️⃣ Organizations implementing AI should focus on social dynamics and context rather than just AI performance. It does not (only) matter how well AI functions - if relevant others around employees don´t trust AI, employees won´t either. 2️⃣ Building trust in AI requires trusted human advocates—if key employees are skeptical, adoption suffers. 3️⃣ AI trust calibration is crucial: Over-reliance and under-reliance on AI both have risks, and leaders should consider social influences when introducing AI teammates. 🎉 Huge congratulations to Türkü for this important contribution! If you’re interested in how social cognitive theory can explain trust in AI teams, check out the full paper. What makes this even more special? JOB is the journal where my first academic paper was published—and where my own PhD supervisor (Frank Walter) had their first journal publication. A true academic full-circle moment! 🎓🔁 I’d love to hear from others: Have you noticed social influences shaping how people trust AI in your workplace? Have you ever seen CEOs, leaders, colleagues modeling (or refraining from modeling) trust in AI? #AI #TrustInAI #HumanAITeams #OrganizationalBehavior #FutureOfWork #Leadership #AcademicMentorship

Ever thought about what trust would look like in teams that involve both humans and AI? For this week's #TuesdayTrustTake, let's explore some related research.   An article just published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior, in which researchers simulated that type of team setup, found that in such settings: - Trust spreads through four key mechanisms: effective communication during problem-solving, social information processing (using others' opinions as cues), reciprocity (returning trust when shown), and behavior modeling (copying positive team dynamics) - Distrust spreads faster than trust: participants were more resistant to positive information but quickly influenced by negative feedback about teammates - "Teammateness" trumps perfection: AI teammates who showed commitment to team goals and acknowledged/corrected mistakes were more trusted than those who appeared flawless but detached - Information inconsistency kills team trust: when team members shared conflicting information, it created lasting wariness toward all teammates   While this study focused on human-AI collaboration, the implications for traditional teams are significant. Trust isn't just about individual relationships; it's a team-wide phenomenon that can make or break collective performance. Trust is contagious.   Takeaways for leaders (no matter whether you have any robot reports or not): - Create trust repair protocols: Establish norms for how team members acknowledge mistakes and collaborate to fix them quickly - Monitor information consistency: Ensure team communications are aligned and address conflicting messages immediately - Model trust-building behaviors: Demonstrate commitment to team goals through your actions and encourage others to do the same   I'd love to hear from you - What patterns have you noticed about how trust spreads (or erodes) in your teams? Have you seen examples where one person's attitude significantly influenced the entire group dynamic?   #Trust #TeamDynamics #Leadership #OrganizationalEffectiveness #HumanCapital   The Tuesday Trust Take combines review of research related to trust and insights from my own experience of a couple decades in People & Culture. Click on the bell icon underneath my profile banner + select "All" to stay updated on new posts and be sure to join in the conversation!