Overview

Lab: Simulation, Automation Trust, and Oculomotor Laboratory (SATO LAB)

Education:

Old Dominion University, Ph.D. Human Factors Psychology, 2020-2024
Old Dominion University, M.S. Psychology, 2018-2020
Old Dominion University, B.S. Psychology, 2014-2018
 
Current Instructor:
Research Methods in Psychology
Seminar in Human Factors
 
Recruitment:
The SATO LAB is actively looking for highly motivated undergraduate students who can work starting from Fall 2026. For more information about this opportunity and the SATO LAB, please click this link. 

Information

Academic Interests and Expertise

My research program aims to examine how humans interact with emerging advanced automated technologies and to translate research outcomes to innovative solutions for improving human-automation/autonomy interaction. Specifically, I explore different factors that influence human performance, trust in automation/autonomy, and visual attention allocation in various domains including but not limited to aviation and surface transportation. I employ different research methods including human-in-the-loop simulation, behavioral measures, and eye tracking techniques.

 

Areas of Research Interest

Human-Automation Interaction, Human-Autonomy Teaming, Trust, and Attention Allocation

Publications
Selected Publications:
  1. Petkac, S., Sato, T., Xie, K., & Yamani, Y. (2025). Dissociation of subjective and objective measures of trust in vehicle automation: A driving simulator study. Frontiers in Future Transportation, 6, 1627368.
  2. Yamani, Y., Long, S. K., Sato, T., Braitman, A. L., Politowicz, M. S., & Chancey, E. T. (2025). Multilevel confirmatory factor analysis reveals two distinct human–automation trust constructs. Human Factors, 67, 166-180.
  3. Yamani, Y., Sato, T., Jackson, A., Politowicz, M., & Chancey, E. T. (2025). A theoretical approach to management of limited attentional resources to support the m: N operation in advanced air mobility ecosystem. In Interdependent Human-Machine Teams (pp. 273-292). Academic Press.
  4.  Cui, Z., Sato. T., Jackson, A., Jayarathna, S., Itoh, M., & Yamani, Y. (2024). Gaze transition entropy as a measure of attention allocation in a dynamic workspace involving automation. Scientific Reports, 14, 1-7.
  5. Sato, T., Jackson, A., & Yamani, Y. (2024). Number of Interrupting Events Influences Response Time in Multitasking, but not Trust in Automation. The International Journal of Aerospace Psychology, 1-17.
  6. Sato, T., Islam, S., Still, J. D., Scerbo, M. W., & Yamani, Y. (2023). Task priority reduces an adverse effect of task load on automation trust in a dynamic multitasking environment. Cognition, Technology & Work, 25, 1-13.
  7. Sato, T., Inman, J., Politowicz, M., Chancey, E. T., & Yamani, Y. (2023). The influence of viability, independence, and self-governance on trust and public acceptance of uncrewed air vehicle operations. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 2023 Annual Meeting, 67, 51-56.
  8. Sato, T., Inman, J., Politowicz, M. S., & Yamani, Y. (2023). A meta-analytic approach to investigating the relationship between trust and attention allocation. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 2023 Annual Meeting, 67, 959-964.
  9. Sato, T., Politowicz, M. S., Islam, S., Chancey, E. T., & Yamani, Y. (2022). Attentional considerations in advanced air mobility operations: Control, manage, or assist? Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 66, 28-32.
  10. Sato, T., Yamani, Y., Liechty, M., & Chancey, E. T. (2020). Automation trust increases under high-workload multitasking scenarios involving risk. Cognition, Technology & Work, 22, 399-407.
Grants

University Research/Creative Projects Awards (URCA) 

Title: Towards Human-Robot Teaming in Aviation: Examining Trust in an Anthropomorphic Agent

Sponsor: State of Kansas

Amount: $4500 

Award Date: December 2025 - December 2026