Humanization or intellectualization? How autonomous vehicles’ mental capacities impact human’s driving behaviors

Abstract

Compared to human-driver vehicles (HVs), people are less tolerant for autonomous vehicles (AVs) with abnormal behaviors and more inclined to conduct dangerous driving behaviors. Previous studies have shown that the anthropomorphic design of AVs influences drivers’ attitudes and behaviors, but no studies have explored the underlying mechanism. Moral sense may play an important role in human’s attitude toward different anthropomorphic AVs. By attributing different mental capacities to AVs, this study investigated the mediation effect of moral disengagement and subsequent behavior when facing different anthropomorphic AVs. An intellectualized AV with agency capacities and a humanized AV with experience capacities were set as a two level of mental capacities, an within-subject variable. 347 drivers imagined driving on the road alongside different AVs exhibiting abnormal driving behaviors and validly responded to the scales measuring moral disengagement, annoyance, anger, and following behaviors. The results showed that when facing AV with experience capacities, drivers reported less moral disengagement, negative emotions, and negative driving behaviors, compared to AV with agency capacities. Moreover, moral disengagement mediated the relationship between AVs’ mental capacities and all driving behaviors; while the mediating effects of negative emotions were significant in part of the models. Overall, this study revealed that compared with intellectualized AV, human driver showed more moral sense and safe behaviors when interacting with humanized AV, providing new insights for AV designers and manufacturers.

Keywords: Autonomous Vehicle, Anthropomorphism, Driving Behavior

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007867