MPC Research Reports
Report Details

Title:	Cognitive Underpinnings of Beliefs and Confidence in Beliefs about Fully Automated Vehicles
Authors:	David Sanbonmatsu, David Strayer, Zhenghui Yu, Francesco Biondi, and Joel Cooper
University:	University of Utah
Publication Date:	Jun 2019
Report #:	MPC-19-388
Project #:	MPC-467
TRID #:	01710503
Keywords:	attitudes, autonomous vehicles, cognition, consumer preferences, consumers, knowledge, trust (psychology)

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 about self-driving cars 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 largely superfluous cognitions. 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.

How to Cite

Sanbonmatsu, David, David Strayer, Zhenghui Yu, Francesco Biondi, and Joel Cooper. Cognitive Underpinnings of Beliefs and Confidence in Beliefs about Fully Automated Vehicles, MPC-19-388. North Dakota State University - Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute, Fargo: Mountain-Plains Consortium, 2019.