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.