Trust Repair in Human-Agent Teams: The Effectiveness of Explanations and Expressing Regret

Trust is a fundamental aspect of teamwork in Human-Agent Teams (HATs). Trust violations are an inevitable aspect of the cycle of trust, so effective trust repair strategies are needed to ensure durable and successful team performance. This study explores the effectiveness of four trust repair strategies. In a first-person shooter resembling HAT task, a trust violation was provoked when the robotic agent failed to detect an approaching enemy. After this, the agent offered an apology composed of an explanation and/or an expression of regret (either one alone, both or neither). Our results indicated that expressing regret was crucial for effective trust repair, and that trust repair was most effective when the apology contained both components.