Children’s Trust of People and Smart Speakers for Factual Information and Moral Decisions
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Category
Social Sciences/Humanities
Abstract/Artist Statement
Important questions emerge regarding children’s trust in smart speakers especially when there are moral implications. The current study investigates children’s use of confidence as a credibility cue when learning factual information and making moral decisions. Participants (N=128; 5-8 years) were randomly assigned to either the factual or moral condition. Using the selective social learning paradigm, participants viewed videos of two pairs of informants – one confident and one hesitant – provide different answers to questions about animals. Participants listened to four trials with human informants (confident and hesitant) and four trials with smart speaker informants (confident and hesitant) (order of informant type was counterbalanced). In the factual condition, participants were presented with factual questions about two animals (e.g., “Here is a cow and a horse. Which of these does not have a toma?”). In the moral condition, participants were presented with questions about animals that invoked moral principles, such as fairness and harm (e.g., “An elephant and a giraffe at the zoo are both very sick, but there is only enough medicine for one of them. Which of these should get to take the medicine?”). To assess learning preferences, participants were asked which answer they endorsed for each trial (e.g., “What do you think – the horse or the cow?”). Additionally, participants rated both informants in the pair on a 4-point scale (0=not at all to 3=a lot) in terms of the informant’s level of confidence, likeability, and smartness. Participants’ responses to the four learning trials were modeled simultaneously with random-intercept logistic regression with age, condition (factual, moral), and informant type (smart speaker, human) as predictors. Mixed Effects Models were used to test to the effects of condition (factual, moral), informant type (smart speaker, human), and participant age on ratings of the informants’ confidence, likeability, and smartness.
Mentor Name
Rachel Severson
Personal Statement
Understanding how children will trust personified technologies with factual and moral information is becoming increasingly urgent as these technologies are available for daily engagement in homes and educational settings. If children are willing to trust smart speakers for factual information, this could be useful for bolstering students’ abilities to learn. On the contrary, if children trust smart speakers for moral decisions the implications may be more convoluted. Artificial intelligence has always prompted concern among humans, from science fiction to perceived threat to human distinctiveness. If children trust smart speakers in a way comparable to how they trust humans, this could be a concern for access and engagement with smart speakers. By assisting in study design, collecting data, and analyzing the data I have gained valuable skills equipping me to be a better scientist and scholar. The study has been conducted in the UM Living Lab, located in the Missoula Public Library, where I have engaged with hundreds of children and families about child development and this study, providing meaningful opportunities for children in Missoula and surrounding communities to engage with science. Such engagement with science and scientists, especially for children who don't typically have these opportunities, can be profoundly transformational, increasing interest in science and creating on ramps for higher education. Additionally, communicating about developmental science to families and findings from our studies has benefited me professionally by learning to disseminate scientific findings and broaden my science communication skills in a meaningful way. Many children and families have not had access to participate and learn from developmental research, as opportunities are usually restricted to those with capacity to come to campus laboratories. By engaging with families in the public library, this restraint has been reduced and more diversity is available in the sample.
Children’s Trust of People and Smart Speakers for Factual Information and Moral Decisions
UC 331
Important questions emerge regarding children’s trust in smart speakers especially when there are moral implications. The current study investigates children’s use of confidence as a credibility cue when learning factual information and making moral decisions. Participants (N=128; 5-8 years) were randomly assigned to either the factual or moral condition. Using the selective social learning paradigm, participants viewed videos of two pairs of informants – one confident and one hesitant – provide different answers to questions about animals. Participants listened to four trials with human informants (confident and hesitant) and four trials with smart speaker informants (confident and hesitant) (order of informant type was counterbalanced). In the factual condition, participants were presented with factual questions about two animals (e.g., “Here is a cow and a horse. Which of these does not have a toma?”). In the moral condition, participants were presented with questions about animals that invoked moral principles, such as fairness and harm (e.g., “An elephant and a giraffe at the zoo are both very sick, but there is only enough medicine for one of them. Which of these should get to take the medicine?”). To assess learning preferences, participants were asked which answer they endorsed for each trial (e.g., “What do you think – the horse or the cow?”). Additionally, participants rated both informants in the pair on a 4-point scale (0=not at all to 3=a lot) in terms of the informant’s level of confidence, likeability, and smartness. Participants’ responses to the four learning trials were modeled simultaneously with random-intercept logistic regression with age, condition (factual, moral), and informant type (smart speaker, human) as predictors. Mixed Effects Models were used to test to the effects of condition (factual, moral), informant type (smart speaker, human), and participant age on ratings of the informants’ confidence, likeability, and smartness.