Responsible automation. Exploring the impact of device automation on task responsibility for the task result in a field study

Abstract Automated technology is increasingly taking over tasks in our everyday lives and households. Therefore, this research aims to understand the effects and potential losses of using a robotic aid compared to a nonrobotic aid in daily life activities on user experience and responsibility judgments. We hypothesized that a high degree of device automation (i.e., robot) is negatively associated with user competence and perceived responsibility for the task result and but positively associated with device agency. Furthermore, we expected device agency and user competence to mediate the effects of the degree of device automation on responsibility for the task result. For the field study, we conducted an online survey in the application context of vacuum cleaning (n = 142) and car parking (n = 127). The findings supported our hypotheses except for the proposed mediation effects in the application context of vacuum cleaning. Our studies extend empirical evidence of prior findings by supporting their validity across naturalistic settings and diverse application contexts. Practical implications for designing highly automated technology, balancing psychological benefits for humans without compromising perceived responsibility, are discussed.