Analysis of autonomous vehicle buyer’s decisions: Balancing ethics with Innovation in the trolley dilemma

Abstract

This study explores complex decision-making processes in autonomous driving, focusing on the ethical challenges presented by the trolley dilemma and the regulatory focus theory. When faced with significant choices in autonomous driving scenarios, such as the trolley dilemma, passengers prefer to make their own decisions rather than rely on a system’s automated choices. This preference of having a choice significantly increases their trust in the technology and their willingness to purchase autonomous vehicles. No notable difference was found in the moral judgment between decisions made by participants and those made by the autonomous system. Moreover, this research highlights the influence of the regulatory focus theory, demonstrating that participants placed greater trust in the system and made safer decisions when presented with prevention-focused messages, emphasizing avoiding adverse outcomes rather than promotion-focused messages highlighting positive outcomes and aspirations. The findings suggest that the presentation of the information and decisions by autonomous vehicles can profoundly influence passengers’ ethical choices, affecting their trust in and acceptance of autonomous technology. This study contributes to the understanding of consumer behavior and ethical decision-making in the rapidly advancing domain of autonomous vehicle technology, offering valuable insight into policy-making and the future design of these systems.