Deceleration Assistance Mitigated the Trade-off Between Sense of Agency and Driving Performance

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Automotive Engineering
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Driving assistance systems (DAS) are increasingly common in vehicles.
• While DAS enhances driving performance and reduces errors, drivers often report a diminished sense of agency.
• Maintaining driver agency is crucial for user acceptance and trust in automated systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if driving assistance can preserve human sense of agency during critical deceleration events.
• To compare driver agency and performance in assisted versus manual deceleration scenarios.
• To explore the design principles for future driving assistance that balances automation with driver control.

Main Methods:

• Participants used a driving simulator to perform an emergency deceleration task.
• Two conditions were tested: manual deceleration and system-assisted deceleration (system initiated 100 ms after hazard detection).
• Participants rated their sense of agency and perceived driving performance post-task.

Main Results:

• Drivers reported a maintained sense of agency when using the driving assistance system.
• Driving performance, including reaction time and control smoothness, was significantly improved under assisted conditions.
• The assisted deceleration closely matched the drivers' intended control, albeit with enhanced speed and smoothness.

Conclusions:

• Driving assistance technology can be designed to maintain and even enhance the driver's sense of agency.
• A joint-control mode, where the system interprets and executes driver intentions effectively, is key.
• Findings inform the development of user-centric driving assistance systems that improve safety without compromising user experience.