Developing an Automation Locus of Control Scale

Abstract

The industrial and domestic proliferation of automation is such that it has become a core component of the human experience. Both automation design paradigms and human performance must be scrutinized in order to ensure the safety, security, effectiveness and efficiency of man-machine systems across a multitude of domains (Fitts, 1951; Parasuraman, Sheridan, & Wickens, 2000; Rasmussen, 1983). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop and validate a measure for the evaluation of control perceptions in the context of human-automation interactions. The scale was developed using a deductive approach to measure development adapting from Rotter (1966) and Levenson (1973) locus of control measures. Results from the solicitation of expert feedback, exploratory factor analyses, and a confirmatory factor analysis supported a three-factor scale structure, and correlational analysis provided preliminary support for the construct validity of the measure. This automation locus of control scale is, therefore, supported as a novel measure for the evaluation of automation control perceptions. The evaluation of measure generalizability and use of the measure as a means of triangulating automation control perceptions in specific scenarios are recommended.