Erika Mason

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Erika Mason’s research lies at the critical intersection of human-robot interaction and trust dynamics, with a focus on how people develop confidence in autonomous systems during collaborative tasks. Her most-cited work, “Trust During Robot-Assisted Navigation” (2013), established foundational insights into the psychological and behavioral factors that shape user reliance on robotic guides, particularly in shared environments like offices and homes. Though her citation count (5) reflects a niche but emerging field, Mason’s contributions are notable for their practical implications: she demonstrated that trust is not static but evolves with robot performance, transparency, and user familiarity. This work has informed the design of more intuitive, socially aware robots that calibrate user trust appropriately—a key challenge as robotics becomes ubiquitous. Mason’s research is particularly valued for bridging experimental psychology and engineering, offering actionable frameworks for developers. Her achievements include pioneering early studies on trust calibration in non-industrial settings, a topic now central to autonomous vehicle and assistive robotics research. For students and researchers, Mason’s work remains a touchstone for understanding the human factors that determine whether robots are embraced or abandoned in everyday life.