Cognitive and Emotional Trust in AI (Glikson & Woolley)
Information SystemsReliability: Cognitive trust alpha 0.88; Emotional trust alpha 0.854 sample items
About this scale
A two-dimensional measure of trust in AI distinguishing cognitive trust (belief in AI's competence and reliability) from emotional trust (felt security and goodwill). Anchored in the Glikson & Woolley (2020) review of human trust in AI; adapted in numerous post-2022 studies of LLMs and decision-aid AI.
Sample item(s)
“The AI system performs its tasks reliably. (cognitive)”
“The AI system is competent at the tasks it is designed for. (cognitive)”
“I feel comfortable when interacting with the AI system. (emotional)”
“I feel secure when relying on the AI system. (emotional)”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: Cognitive trust alpha 0.88; Emotional trust alpha 0.85. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Strongly recommended for OB/HRM studies because it separates the rational and affective sides of trust.
Source & citation
Glikson, E., & Woolley, A. W. (2020): Human trust in artificial intelligence: Review of empirical research. Academy of Management Annals, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 627–660.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
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