Psychological factors affecting potential users' intention to use autonomous vehicles.

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Transportation Technology
• Psychology

Background:

• Autonomous vehicles (AVs) represent an emerging intelligent transport mode with significant potential.
• User acceptance is critical for the successful adoption and integration of AVs.
• Existing technology acceptance models require adaptation to the unique context of AVs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the psychological factors influencing user acceptance of autonomous vehicles.
• To extend the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by incorporating perceived trust, value, and enjoyment.
• To identify key predictors for autonomous vehicle (AV) usage intention.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative study utilizing questionnaire data from 232 participants.
• Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed research model.
• Nine hypotheses regarding the relationships between psychological factors and AV acceptance were examined.

Main Results:

• Perceived enjoyment, trust, usefulness, and attitude directly and positively impact AV usage intention.
• Perceived value, usefulness, and ease of use directly and positively influence user attitudes towards AVs.
• Perceived ease of use was found to directly enhance perceived usefulness.

Conclusions:

• A validated model for autonomous vehicle acceptance was constructed, offering a framework for future research.
• The findings expand the theoretical applications of the Technology Acceptance Model in the domain of intelligent transport.
• Provides actionable insights for AV designers, policymakers, and practitioners to foster user acceptance and adoption.