Motivating transparent communications about bias in healthcare technology development

Tovmasyan, A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9297-0084, Liefgreen, A., Wachter, S., Mittelstadt, B. and Weinstein, N. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2200-6617 (2025) Motivating transparent communications about bias in healthcare technology development. Collabra: Psychology, 11 (1). 136456. ISSN 2474-7394 doi: 10.1525/collabra.136456

Abstract/Summary

As healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) systems advance, their capacity for bias (e.g., as a function of patient protected characteristics) increases as well, and these limitations are often left undisclosed by developers. Here, the question arises - does supportive motivational messaging designed to increase buy-in inspire healthcare AI developers to transparently communicate about bias in their technology? Computer science students (Study 1: N=271; Study 2: N=209) were randomly assigned to receive a brief communication framed in either an autonomy-supportive (choice promoting) or controlling (judging and pressuring) way, emphasizing either personal benefits (gaining profit) of transparency or legal implications of non-transparency. Results showed that while communication type was not associated with behavioral intention to engage in an educational course on transparent communication about bias, both internal (self-directed) and external motivation were associated with greater intention to take a course to build transparency-congruent technology skills, as well as with greater ethical voice - intention to speak up in the service of positive transparency-consistent cultural change, and lower antagonism – i.e., a lower critical perspective regarding the need for transparency. Findings suggest that universities and workplaces should provide students and developers with a broadly supportive motivational climate, rather than a singular brief training.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/id/eprint/122686
Identification Number/DOI	10.1525/collabra.136456
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Department of Psychology Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Social
Publisher	University of California Press
Download/View statistics	View download statistics for this item