Cognitive underpinnings of beliefs and confidence in beliefs about fully automated vehicles. (May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sanbonmatsu, David M.; Strayer, David L.; Yu, Zhenghui; Biondi, Francesco; Cooper, Joel M.
• Is Part Of: Transportation research. Volume 55(2018)
• Page Start: 114
• Page End: 122
• Publication Date: 2018-05
• Subjects: Automobile drivers -- Psychology -- Periodicals; Automobile driving -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; Transportation -- Psychological aspects -- Periodicals; 629.283019
• DOI: 10.1016/j.trf.2018.02.029
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1369-8478

Abstract

Highlights: Many consumers are uninformed about self-driving vehicles. The least knowledgeable consumers have the most negative views. Low trust in technology is also associated with more negative views. Consumers are generally confident in their beliefs about self-driving vehicles. There is little relation between judgmental confidence and knowledge. Judgmental confidence is driven by irrelevant factors such as self-confidence. The confidence in negative views may make them difficult to influence. Abstract: A study investigated the cognitive underpinnings of consumers' beliefs and confidence in their beliefs about fully automated vehicles. Following previous research, opinions about self-driving cars tended to be mixed. The most negative views were held by consumers who had the least knowledge of self-driving cars. Low trust in technology was also associated with more negative views. Although consumers were generally confident in their views of self-driving cars, many were uninformed about them. Consumers' confidence in their beliefs was more strongly correlated with perceived knowledge and general confidence than real expertise. Thus, consumers' confidence in their opinions about fully automated vehicles appears to be driven by cognitions that are largely superfluous. A mediation analysis suggests that general self-confidence influences judgmental confidence by affecting perceived judgment relevant knowledge. Participants' confidence in negative beliefs about fully automated vehicles suggests their opinions will not be easily influenced via persuasion.