Perceived System Predictability: Scale Development and Application

Hendrik Schuff, Heike Adel, Ngoc Thang Vu

How predictable users perceive an interactive system to be shapes how they interpret, trust, and rely on it, yet HCI lacks both a precise conceptualization and a validated instrument for this perception. We address this gap by introducing perceived system predictability (PSP) as a user-centered construct grounded in uncertainty theory, distinguishing epistemic, aleatory, and effective predictability. We contribute (i) a theoretical framework that situates PSP relative to adjacent constructs such as trust and understanding, (ii) a 6-item PSP scale, derived from a 60-item pool through expert review and cognitive interviews, and validated in a shape-classifier study ($N=200$) that supports both a unidimensional and a three-factor hierarchical structure, and (iii) a sentiment-classifier study ($N=200$) that varies explanations and stochasticity, and relates PSP to the correctness of users' predictions of system behavior, trust, subjective information processing awareness, and need for cognition. We find that PSP and prediction correctness capture distinct aspects of users' mental models and that both can diverge: PSP itself predicts correctness, explanations shift PSP but not correctness, and increased stochasticity degrades correctness without lowering PSP. PSP thus goes beyond existing objective and subjective measures and offers a principled foundation for designing transparent and trustworthy interactive systems.