Stony Brook University School of Social Welfare PhD student Courtney Kidd, LCSW, MSc, recently published her first academic article in the June 2026 edition of the Journal of Consumer Affairs.
Titled, "'Just Do It?' Not So Fast: Why Trust in AI Needs an Interdisciplinary Theoretical Reboot," Kidd's paper explores the inadequacies of traditional adoption models in handling the ethical dynamics of AI-consumer interactions, which overlook a recursive relationship between the system and its users.
Kidd introduces the Socio-Technical Adoption and Participation Framework (STAPF), which integrates insights with consumer-based theories to specify trust as a multidimensional construct, using "feedback-driven co-production" as the central mechanism to link user participation and evolve trust.
According to Kidd, the model "extends beyond technology adoption to address consumer well-being, marketplace fairness, and regulatory governance in AI-mediated environments."
Kidd began thinking about how technology might be used to address complex social issues while pursuing her Master of Social Work (MSW) at the School of Social Welfare. She went on to complete a second MSc in Science and Technology Studies at the University of Edinburgh, focusing on emotional artificial intelligence in video game design.
"That work deepened my interest in how emotions are interpreted, designed, and sometimes distorted through technology," said Kidd. "It confirmed my tendency to gravitate toward questions that don’t sit neatly within one discipline, something that carries directly into my doctoral work in human–robot interaction."
"Stony Brook grounded me in a relational view of social work, centered on our relationships with ourselves, others, and the world around us, and a commitment to work that feels meaningful beyond the classroom," Kidd added. "I’m drawn to the spaces where perspectives don’t immediately align because that’s often where the most important questions are taking shape and need our responses."
In addition to pursuing her PhD at the School of Social Welfare, Kidd serves as an adjunct professor. Click here to read her article in full.
