Maria E. Barrera
Papers
1
Total Citations
18
H-Index
1
About
Maria E. Barrera’s research lies at the intersection of human-robot interaction, trust dynamics, and comparative cognition, where she draws novel parallels between human-animal and human-robot relationships. Her most cited work, “Human-Animal Trust as an Analog for Human-Robot Trust: A Review of Current Evidence” (2012, 18 citations), provides a foundational framework for understanding trust in robotic teaming by examining established principles from animal behavior. This conceptual bridge has influenced early-stage experimental design in human-robot collaboration, offering a cost-effective alternative to live-robot studies. Barrera’s contributions are particularly notable for their interdisciplinary reach, synthesizing psychology, ethology, and robotics to address the practical challenges of trust calibration in autonomous systems. While her citation count reflects the emerging nature of this field, her work has been recognized for its originality in proposing animal models as a viable proxy for human-robot trust research—a perspective that continues to shape funding priorities and experimental paradigms. For students and researchers, Barrera’s scholarship underscores the value of cross-domain analogies in tackling complex sociotechnical problems, making her a key voice in the ongoing dialogue about trust in human-machine teams.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1