The Development of the Trust in Self-Driving Vehicles Scale (TSDV)

Self-driving vehicles (SDVs) are an emerging technology in which consumers have low levels of trust. Researchers/designers can understand and improve consumer trust through research and iterative design, but doing so effectively requires reliable measures. Although general trust-in-automation measures exist, a measure tailored to SDVs may provide a more accurate tool. This study presents work undertaken to create a domain specific trust measure for SDVs. Candidate items were given to 400 participants who rated their trust in an SDV portrayed in a narrative describing a ride in said vehicle. The Trust in Self-driving Vehicles Scale (TSDV) was created by analyzing participants’ responses using psychometric methods. Four factors were extracted from participants’ responses. Five items were retained for each factor to create the TSDV. Initial evidence of the validity of the instrument is presented through the TSDV’s ability to discriminate between a trustworthy and non-trustworthy vehicle, as portrayed in use scenarios.