Automation and Accountability in Decision Support System Interface Design
When the human element is introduced into decision support system design, entirely new layers of social and ethical issues emerge but are not always recognized as such. This paper discusses those ethical and social impact issues specific to decision support systems and highlights areas that interfac...
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| Format: | Article |
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Journal of Technology Studies
2014
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90321 |
| _version_ | 1826212467858997248 |
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| author | Cummings, M. L. |
| author_facet | Cummings, M. L. |
| author_sort | Cummings, M. L. |
| collection | MIT |
| description | When the human element is introduced into decision support system design, entirely new layers of social and ethical issues emerge but are not always recognized as such. This paper discusses those ethical and social impact issues specific to decision support systems and highlights areas that interface designers should consider during design with an emphasis on military applications. Because of the inherent complexity of socio-technical
systems, decision support systems are particularly vulnerable to certain potential ethical pitfalls that encompass automation and accountability issues. If computer systems diminish a user’s sense of moral agency and responsibility, an erosion of accountability could result. In addition, these problems are exacerbated when an interface is perceived as a legitimate authority. I argue that when developing human computer interfaces for
decision support systems that have the ability to harm people, the possibility exists that a moral buffer, a form of psychological distancing, is created which allows people to ethically distance themselves from their actions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T15:22:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/90321 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T15:22:01Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| publisher | Journal of Technology Studies |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/903212019-04-12T21:55:09Z Automation and Accountability in Decision Support System Interface Design Cummings, M. L. decision support system design ethics human computer interfaces When the human element is introduced into decision support system design, entirely new layers of social and ethical issues emerge but are not always recognized as such. This paper discusses those ethical and social impact issues specific to decision support systems and highlights areas that interface designers should consider during design with an emphasis on military applications. Because of the inherent complexity of socio-technical systems, decision support systems are particularly vulnerable to certain potential ethical pitfalls that encompass automation and accountability issues. If computer systems diminish a user’s sense of moral agency and responsibility, an erosion of accountability could result. In addition, these problems are exacerbated when an interface is perceived as a legitimate authority. I argue that when developing human computer interfaces for decision support systems that have the ability to harm people, the possibility exists that a moral buffer, a form of psychological distancing, is created which allows people to ethically distance themselves from their actions. 2014-09-24T18:48:54Z 2014-09-24T18:48:54Z 2006 Article http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90321 application/pdf Journal of Technology Studies |
| spellingShingle | decision support system design ethics human computer interfaces Cummings, M. L. Automation and Accountability in Decision Support System Interface Design |
| title | Automation and Accountability in Decision Support System Interface Design |
| title_full | Automation and Accountability in Decision Support System Interface Design |
| title_fullStr | Automation and Accountability in Decision Support System Interface Design |
| title_full_unstemmed | Automation and Accountability in Decision Support System Interface Design |
| title_short | Automation and Accountability in Decision Support System Interface Design |
| title_sort | automation and accountability in decision support system interface design |
| topic | decision support system design ethics human computer interfaces |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/90321 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cummingsml automationandaccountabilityindecisionsupportsysteminterfacedesign |