The integration of automated vehicle technology into our transportation infrastructure is ongoing, yet the precise timeline for the introduction of fully automated vehicles remains ambiguous. This technological transition necessitates the creation of in-vehicle displays tailored to emergent user needs and concerns. Notably, driving-induced anxiety, already a concern, is projected to assume greater significance in this context, although it remains inadequately researched. This dissertation sought to delve into the phenomenon of anxiety in driving, assess its implications in future transportation modalities, elucidate design considerations for distinct demographics like the youth and elderly, and design and evaluate an affective in-vehicle system to alleviate anxiety in automated driving through four studies. The first study involved two workshops with automotive experts, who underscored anxiety as pivotal to sustaining trust and system acceptance. The second study was a qualitative focus group analysis incorporating both young and older drivers, aiming to distill anxiety-inducing scenarios in automated driving and pinpoint potential intervention strategies and feedback modalities. This was followed by two driving simulator evaluations. The third study was observational, seeking to discern correlations among personality attributes, anxiety, and trust in automated driving systems. The fourth study employed cognitive reappraisal for anxiety reduction in automated driving. Analysis indicated the efficacy of the empathic interface leveraging cognitive reappraisal as an effective anxiety amelioration tool. Particularly in the self-efficacy reappraisal context, this influence influenced trust, user experience, and anxiety markers. Cumulatively, this dissertation provides key design guidelines for anxiety mitigation in automated driving, and highlights design elements pivotal to augmenting user experiences in scenarios where drivers relinquish vehicular control. / Doctor of Philosophy / An extent amount of research has uncovered how negative affect, most prominently driving anger and road rage, impairs driving performance and experience. However, as driving automation will gradually relegate drivers to the position of vehicle occupants, a need exists to identify the impact of other negative emotions on driving experience. Some research suggests that anxiety could negatively influence trust and acceptance of automation, though it is still unclear how exactly this influence changes based on user profiles nor how to adequately respond to it in a vehicle. This dissertation aims at understanding the impact of anxiety on automated driving experience and trust, and how researchers can apply empathic interface design to mitigate its effects. A series of studies evaluated the impact of anxiety in automated driving, user concerns and needs in anxious driving situations, and the influence of an empathic interface seeking anxiety mitigation in automated driving. The voice-agent enabled interface that used cognitive reappraisal had a significant impact on user experience and trust in automated vehicles.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/116508 |
| Date | 18 October 2023 |
| Creators | Nadri, Chihab |
| Contributors | Industrial and Systems Engineering, Jeon, Myounghoon, Patrick, Rafael, Baldwin, Carryl L., Gabbard, Joseph L., Antin, Jonathan Frank |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf, application/pdf |
| Rights | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
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