A Cross-cultural Investigation of the Effects of Explanations on Drivers’ Trust, Preference, and Anxiety in Highly Automated Vehicles

Abstract

This study explored, in consideration of cultural differences, how explanation timing and permission of the automated vehicle’s (AV’s) actions affected drivers’ trust in, preference for, and anxiety about the AV. We conducted a video-based online survey study with 118 participants in different cultural contexts. Each participant experienced four conditions in highly automated driving: (1) no explanations, (2) explanations given before, or (3) after the AV acted, and (4) the option for drivers to approve or disapprove the AV’s action after explanations. We found that context cultures influenced drivers’ trust in and preference for the AV only when explanations were provided. Participants with higher-context cultures had higher trust in and preference for the AV. Such influence was augmented especially when the AV asked for permission after explanations. Our results have important implications for the design of in-vehicle interfaces. We suggest that AV manufacturers should incorporate cultural differences into AV explanation interface design for global use.