Build Trustworthy AI: Measure Human Connection

Overview

Transform how you approach AI companion products by mastering the psychology of human-AI trust. You'll apply anthropomorphism concepts to categorize the human qualities users attribute to AI—classifying signals as warmth-related or competence-related to build actionable user profiles. You'll master the two-question warmth-and-competence survey that captures how users perceive your AI, rooted in decades of social psychology research. And you'll apply threshold-based decision rules that transform passive data collection into proactive user protection. Through realistic Role Plays with skeptical colleagues and program coordinators, you'll practice categorizing anthropomorphic signals and presenting data-driven recommendations. Coach Dialogues challenge your judgment on ambiguous cases where the data doesn't tell the whole story. Essential skills for UX researchers, Trust & Safety analysts, product managers, and anyone building or supporting AI companion experiences. No technical background required—just a commitment to responsible AI deployment.

Syllabus

Apply Anthropomorphism Concepts and Measure Trust

Apply the psychology of anthropomorphism to real AI companion interactions—categorizing the human-like qualities users attribute to chatbots and classifying each signal as warmth-related or competence-related. You'll use the Anthropomorphism Identification Worksheet to document findings from chat transcripts and connect those signals to the survey instrument you'll administer.

Apply Surveys and Evaluate for Human Escalation

Master the complete workflow from administering the warmth-competence survey to making threshold-based escalation decisions. Learn why an average score below 4 signals the need for human outreach, and how to flag accounts appropriately in your Dashboard. You'll practice the full cycle: send survey, record results, evaluate against threshold, and document escalation decisions.