Lesson Plan: The Problem With Robots: People Trust Them Too Much
While Reading Tasks: Word Inference
- determine |diˈtərmin| verb-ascertain or establish exactly, typically as a result of research or calculation: officials are working with state police to determine the cause of a deadly bus crash.
- evacuate |iˈvakyəˌwāt| verb-remove (someone) from a place of danger to a safe place: several families were evacuated from their homes.
- inspire |inˈspīr| verb [ with obj. ] fill (someone) with the urge or ability to do or feel something, esp. to do something creative: [ with obj. and infinitive ] : his passion for romantic literature inspired him to begin writing.
- research |ˈrēˌsərCH, riˈsərCH| noun- the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions:
- obvious |ˈäbvēəs| adjective -easily perceived or understood; clear, self-evident, or apparent: unemployment has been the most obvious cost of the recession .
- ignore |igˈnôr| verb [ with obj. ] refuse to take notice of or acknowledge; disregard intentionally: he ignored her outraged question.
- direct |diˈrekt, dī-|verb [ with obj. ]-tell or show (someone) how to get somewhere: can you direct me to the railroad station, please?
- envision |enˈviZHən| verb imagine as a future possibility; visualize: she envisioned the admiring glances of guests seeing her home.
- stationed |ˈstāSHən| verb [ with obj. ] -put in or assign to a specified place for a particular purpose, esp. a military one: troops were stationed in the town.
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reconsider |ˌrēkənˈsidər| verb [ with obj. ] consider (something) again, esp. for a possible change of decision regarding it: they called on the government to reconsider its policy.
Reading Comprehension: Fill-ins
Only when the robot made obvious errors during the emergency part of the experiment did the participants question its directions. In those cases, some subjects still followed the robot’s instructions even when it directed them toward a darkened room that was blocked by furniture.
In future research, the scientists hope to learn more about why the test subjects trusted the robot, whether that response differs by education level or demographics, and how the robots themselves might indicate the level of trust that should be given to them.
Grammar Focus: Word -Recognition
The research is part of a long-term study of how humans trust robots, an important issue as robots play a greater role in society. The researchers envision using groups of robots stationed in high-rise buildings to point occupants toward exits and urge them to evacuate during emergencies. Research has shown that people often don’t leave buildings when fire alarms sound, and that they sometimes ignore nearby emergency exits in favor of more familiar building entrances.
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