Preferred level of vehicle automation: How technology adoption, knowledge, and personality affect automation preference in Türkiye and Sweden

Abstract

AbstractThe acceptance of automated vehicles and advanced vehicle technologies by users is subject to different human factors variables. Personality, technology adoption, and prior previous knowledge about the systems have been significant determinants of people’s attitudes toward new technologies across different settings. The present study examined the effects of technology adoption, knowledge of vehicle automation, and personality on the preferred level of vehicle automation in Türkiye and Sweden. The study was conducted with 297 drivers from Türkiye (age: M = 22.47, SD = 2.83) and 332 drivers from Sweden (age: M = 30.06, SD = 10.48). Participants completed a questionnaire regarding technology adoption, knowledge and preference of vehicle automation, and the Basic Personality Traits Inventory (BPTI). The findings indicated that high technology adoption was associated with preferring higher levels of automation. Furthermore, drivers from Türkiye, in comparison to drivers from Sweden, and drivers with previous knowledge of high or full automation, compared to those who have not heard of these systems in the two countries, expressed a preference toward higher levels of automation. High extraversion and openness to change were associated with high technology adoption, leading to preferring vehicles with higher levels of automation. Overall, the results indicated that drivers’ knowledge of automated vehicles and general traits, such as personality and technology adoption, play a role in vehicle preference. The study analyzed the factors that affect user acceptance of automated vehicles and offered insights into their interrelationships across two countries with differing levels of road safety.

Keywords

• Automated driving
• vehicle automation
• personality
• technology adoption
• vehicle knowledge
• Ergonomics & Human Factors