Assessing acceptance of electric automated vehicles after exposure in a realistic traffic environment

After years of hypothetical surveys and simulator studies, automated vehicles (AVs) are now being tested in realistic traffic environments adding validity to knowledge about their acceptance. We present data from a pilot test with participants (n = 125) after experiencing a ride in an electric AV on a large clinic area in Berlin, Germany. As a first contribution, we bridge the gap between missing definitions of key constructs, confusion about their operationalisations, and a rigorous test of their statistical properties and data structure by examining scales on acceptance, trust, perceived safety, intention to use, and—for the first time applied to AVs—the emotions amusement, fear, surprise, and boredom. Tests of reliability and normality were satisfying for almost all constructs (Cronbach’s alphas ≥ .69; six of eight scales normally distributed). The vehicles were accepted (M = 1.22; SD = 0.70; range -2 to 2), trusted (M = 3.29; SD = 0.81; range 1 to 5), and perceived as safe (M = 3.29; SD = 1.03; range 1 to 5). However, factor analyses did not reflect the hypothesised data structure, and validity concerns question the suitability of some constructs for attitude assessment of electric AVs. Our open item for comments added valuable insights in qualitative aspects of user attitudes towards electric AVs regarding driving style, technical features, and (unsettling) audio-visual feedback. We thus argue for broader conceptualisations of key constructs based on interdisciplinary exchange and multi-methodical study designs.

经过多年的假想调研与仿真研究，自动驾驶汽车（automated vehicles, AVs）如今已在真实交通环境中开展测试，为有关其接受度的研究结论增添了实证效度。本研究呈现了德国柏林某大型院区中，125名参与者体验电动自动驾驶汽车（electric AV）后开展的预测试数据。
本研究的首要贡献在于，针对现有研究中关键构念（construct）定义缺失、操作化定义（operationalisation）认知混淆的问题，通过检验接受度、信任度、感知安全性、使用意向，以及首次应用于自动驾驶汽车的四类情绪（愉悦、恐惧、惊讶与无聊）的量表，填补了此前缺乏对其统计属性与数据结构进行严谨检验的研究空白。
对几乎所有构念的信度与正态性检验结果均较为理想：克朗巴赫α系数（Cronbach’s alpha）≥0.69，8个量表中有6个符合正态分布。参与者对该类车辆的接受度均值为1.22（标准差=0.70，评分区间为-2至2），信任度均值为3.29（标准差=0.81，评分区间为1至5），感知安全性均值为3.29（标准差=1.03，评分区间为1至5）。
然而，因子分析（factor analysis）结果并未契合预设的数据结构，同时效度层面的质疑也表明，部分构念并不适用于电动自动驾驶汽车的态度评估。本研究设置的开放式评论题项，为用户对电动自动驾驶汽车的态度提供了有关驾驶风格、技术特性，以及（令人不适的）音视频反馈等质性维度的宝贵见解。因此，本研究主张基于跨学科交流与多方法研究设计，对关键构念进行更具广度的概念化重构。