Examining the Impact of Age and Gender on Drivers’ Perceptions Toward Autonomous Vehicles Before and after Autonomous Driving Simulator Exposure

Sisiopiku, Virginia P.; Yang, Wencui; Mason, Justin; McKinney, Brandy; Hwangbo, Seung Woo; Classen, Sherrilene · 2023 · Crossref

DOI: 10.18280/ijtdi.070203

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

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Summary

This study investigates how age and gender influence drivers’ perceptions of autonomous vehicles (AVs) before and after direct exposure to the technology. While previous research relied on surveys of non-exposed participants, this work addresses the gap by using a pre-post design with a high-fidelity driving simulator to capture changes in attitudes following a lived experience. The researchers aimed to determine if simulator exposure improves AV acceptance and to identify which demographic groups exhibit the most significant shifts in perception. The study involved 101 licensed drivers from North Central Florida, categorized into three age groups: younger (18–39 years, n=34), middle-aged (40–64 years, n=17), and older adults (65+ years, n=50). Participants completed the Autonomous Vehicle User Perception Survey (AVUPS) before and after a 10-minute ride in an SAE Level 4 autonomous driving simulator. The AVUPS measured three subscales: Intention to Use, Perceived Barriers, and Total Acceptance. Statistical analyses, including t-tests, ANOVAs, and mixed ANOVAs, were conducted to assess differences between genders, across age groups, and the impact of simulator exposure. Results indicated that simulator exposure significantly improved overall perceptions of AVs. However, the magnitude of change varied by demographic. Older adults and females demonstrated the greatest positive shifts in Intention to Use, Barriers, and Acceptance scores. Specifically, females showed statistically significant improvements in all three domains after exposure, whereas males showed no significant changes. Among age groups, older drivers reported significantly higher Intention to Use scores post-exposure compared to baseline, while younger drivers showed no significant changes in any domain. Middle-aged drivers also showed significant improvements in Barriers and Acceptance. At baseline, older adults already reported higher Intention to Use and Acceptance than middle-aged adults, but no significant gender differences existed prior to exposure. The findings suggest that direct experience with AV technology is an effective method for increasing user acceptance, particularly among older adults and women, who may initially hold more cautious views. The study highlights that simulator exposure can mitigate perceived barriers and boost willingness to use AVs, offering a practical tool for developers and policymakers to promote adoption. By demonstrating that lived experience alters attitudes more effectively than surveys alone, the research underscores the importance of experiential engagement in understanding public acceptance of emerging transportation technologies.

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Topics

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• acceptance adoption
• sex gender

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• Empirical Findings: self report data, observational prevalence
• Methodological Resource: tool software