A study on psychological determinants of users' autonomous vehicles adoption from anthropomorphism and UTAUT perspectives
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.986800
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Summary
This study investigates the psychological determinants influencing users' adoption of fully autonomous vehicles (AVs), specifically focusing on private AVs in Beijing, China. The research addresses a gap in existing literature, which has largely overlooked the role of anthropomorphism in AV acceptance. By integrating anthropomorphism theory, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), and perceived value theory, the authors aim to understand how system attributes (perceived anthropomorphism and perceived intelligence) and UTAUT factors influence consumers' intention to adopt AVs. The researchers collected data through an online questionnaire survey administered in March 2022. Of 950 distributed surveys, 315 valid responses were obtained after excluding invalid entries that failed attention checks. The sample consisted primarily of young adults (38% under 30) and current private car owners (80%). The study employed structural equation modeling (SEM) using AMOS to test nine hypotheses regarding the relationships between perceived anthropomorphism, perceived intelligence, UTAUT constructs (performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions), perceived value, and adoption intention. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the model’s reliability and validity, with satisfactory fit indices. The results indicate that perceived anthropomorphism and perceived intelligence have a direct positive influence on the intention to adopt AVs. Conversely, UTAUT factors—performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and facilitating conditions—exert an indirect positive influence on adoption intention through their effect on perceived value. Specifically, higher perceptions of AV benefits, ease of use, and available support increase the perceived value of the technology, which in turn boosts adoption intention. Social influence was also found to positively affect perceived value. The study confirms that anthropomorphism is a significant psychological driver, distinct from traditional technology acceptance factors. The findings contribute to the literature by highlighting the importance of anthropomorphism in the context of autonomous vehicle adoption. The study suggests that designers and policymakers should focus on enhancing the human-like traits and perceived intelligence of AVs to foster trust and acceptance. Additionally, improving user-friendly interfaces and providing adequate support resources can enhance perceived value, thereby encouraging adoption. These insights offer managerial implications for businesses and policymakers aiming to facilitate the integration of AVs into urban transportation systems.
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | OpenAlex-citations | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-18 |
| archive | success | unpaywall | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-25 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-26 |
| clean | success | clean | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-18 |
| chunk | success | chunk | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-18 |
| embed | success | embed | Qwen/Qwen3-Embedding-8B | — | 1 | 2026-06-18 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-18 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 6 | 2026-06-18 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.
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