Kristin E. Schaefer

About

Kristin E. Schaefer is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction (HRI), with a distinguished focus on the psychological and empirical dimensions of trust between humans, robots, and automated systems. Her landmark 2011 meta-analysis, "A Factors Affecting Trust in Human-Robot Interaction," has garnered over 1,900 citations, establishing her as a foundational voice in quantifying how human, robot, and environmental variables shape perceived trust — a question previously addressed only through qualitative means. Building on this work, Schaefer extended her meta-analytic approach to broader human-automation interaction in 2016, accumulating over 700 additional citations and providing critical empirical grounding for the design of autonomous systems. A particularly notable methodological contribution is her development of the Trust Perception Scale-HRI, offering researchers a validated, reliable instrument for measuring trust dynamics in real-world settings. Her creative exploration of human-animal teams as analogues for human-robot teaming further demonstrates her interdisciplinary ingenuity. With a body of work spanning trust measurement, robot form classification, and broader models of human trust, Schaefer's research continues to shape how scientists, engineers, and policymakers approach the increasingly urgent challenge of building effective and trustworthy human-machine partnerships.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   A Meta-Analysis of Factors Affecting Trust in Human-Robot Interaction

   1,914 citations · 2011
2. 2
   A Meta-Analysis of Factors Influencing the Development of Trust in Automation

   707 citations · 2016
3. 3
   Measuring Trust in Human Robot Interactions: Development of the “Trust Perception Scale-HRI”

   251 citations · 2016
4. 4
   Can You Trust Your Robot?

   185 citations · 2011
5. 5
   The Perception And Measurement Of Human-robot Trust

   139 citations · 2013
6. 6
   Human-robot interaction

   112 citations · 2012
7. 7
   How and why humans trust: A meta-analysis and elaborated model

   100 citations · 2023
8. 8
   Classification of Robot Form: Factors Predicting Perceived Trustworthiness

   78 citations · 2012
9. 9
   Human-Animal Teams as an Analog for Future Human-Robot Teams: Influencing Design and Fostering Trust

   49 citations · 2015
10. 10
    A Meta-Analysis of Factors Influencing the Development of Trust in Automation: Implications for Human-Robot Interaction

    40 citations · 2014

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links