An Automated Vehicle (AV) like Me? The Impact of Personality Similarities and Differences between Humans and AVs

Esterwood, Connor · 2019 · Conference paper

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Summary

This study investigates how personality similarities and dissimilarities between humans and autonomous vehicles (AVs) influence perceptions of AV safety. Motivated by mixed findings in human-robot interaction literature regarding whether similarity or dissimilarity fosters positive interactions, the authors sought to determine if matching AV personalities to human drivers could promote AV adoption. The research specifically examined these dynamics across the Big Five personality traits: extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness to experience. The researchers conducted an experimental study with 443 U.S.-licensed drivers, selected to represent the national driving population. Participants completed a survey measuring their own personality using the Ten-item Personality Inventory (TIPI). They then viewed four videos depicting an AV driving under varying conditions: normal versus aggressive driving behavior and sunny versus snowy weather. After each video, participants rated the AV’s personality and their perception of its safety. The study categorized personality scores as high or low relative to the mean, creating four conditions for similarity and dissimilarity: high similarity (both high), low similarity (both low), low dissimilarity (human low, AV high), and high dissimilarity (human high, AV low). A mixed linear model analyzed the impact of these conditions on safety perceptions. The results indicated that personality similarity and dissimilarity significantly affected safety perceptions for agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability, but not for extroversion or openness to experience. For these three significant traits, high similarity (both human and AV scoring high) and low dissimilarity (AV scoring higher than the human) yielded the highest safety ratings. Conversely, high dissimilarity (human scoring higher than the AV) resulted in the lowest safety perceptions. Additionally, a moderation effect was found for conscientiousness: participants with high conscientiousness perceived the AV as safest when it drove non-aggressively in sunny weather. The study concludes that personality alignment impacts AV safety perceptions in specific, trait-dependent ways. Similarity is beneficial only when both the human and the AV exhibit high levels of agreeableness, conscientiousness, or emotional stability. Dissimilarity is beneficial only when the AV is perceived as having higher levels of these traits than the human. These findings clarify previous contradictory literature by highlighting the importance of the magnitude of personality scores and the specific traits involved. The results suggest that AV designers should consider tailoring vehicle personalities to be high in these specific traits to maximize user trust and perceived safety, particularly in contexts involving non-aggressive driving.

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Topics

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• personality driving
• acceptance adoption