Two experiments examined imperfect automation decision aids for maritime collision avoidance. In Experiment 1, the algorithm was driven purely by safety, recommending turning your ship in the direction that produced the greatest separation from a hazard ship. In Experiment 2, the algorithm incorporated two additional factors known to influence ship collision avoidance maneuvers: efficiency and procedural adherence to established “rules of the road.” In both experiments, results revealed heavy but not total reliance on the aid. A strong influence of categorical rules of the road was indicated by compliance with recommendations in concurrence to those conventions, even as they reduced continuous parameters of safety, particularly in Experiment 2 when the rules were incorporated in the algorithm. This illustrates the powerful influence of categorical procedural algorithm elements over continuous quantitative ones in affecting automation compliance. Results also revealed the dissociation between rated trust in, and behavioral dependence on decision aiding automation.

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