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About

Theresa T. Kessler is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction (HRI) and human-AI trust, whose work has fundamentally advanced our understanding of how and why humans extend trust to artificial agents. Her scholarship centers on identifying the psychological, contextual, and technological factors that shape trust relationships between humans and both robots and AI systems. Kessler's most influential contributions are her rigorous meta-analytic reviews. Her 2021 meta-analysis on trust in artificial intelligence has garnered 330 citations, systematically mapping how human, AI, and contextual factors jointly predict trust outcomes. Complementing this, her 2020 sequential meta-analysis on trust in robots (208 citations) expanded theoretical frameworks for HRI by synthesizing empirical findings across time. Her 2023 elaborated model of human trust more broadly (100 citations) demonstrates her ambition to unify trust research across social and technological domains. Earlier work examined foundational questions such as robot form's effect on trust, simulation fidelity, and social conformity in HRI settings, establishing her as a comprehensive voice in the field. Collectively, Kessler's research provides the empirical backbone for designing trustworthy autonomous systems — a contribution of growing importance as AI and robotics become embedded in everyday human life.