Experimental manipulation of reliability in ambient assisted living – an analysis of trust and intention to use

The present study examined three different reliability levels of an ambient assisted living (AAL) application and its influence on trust and intention to use. Past research has generally supported differences in trust in automation by a variation of reliability. However, investigations in the context of AAL, with older people as a target group, have not been empirically established. A 3 reliability (100%; 90%; 80%) × 2 target group (older people; students) experimental design was used for solving home automation tasks with an AAL mock-up. The study revealed no significant influence on trust in AAL and intention to use by the three different reliability conditions. In contrast, older people’s perceived reliability had a significant impact on both variables. The study highlighted the importance of perceived reliability in trust in AAL and usage intention, whereas the manipulated reliability showed only tendencies of these connections.