Development of a measurement instrument for pedestrians’ initial trust in automated vehicles

Considering that a significant portion of the current pedestrian population has limited exposure to automated vehicles (AVs), it is crucial to have a reliable instrument for assessing pedestrians’ initial trust in AVs. Using a survey of 436 pedestrians, this study developed and validated a PITQA (Pedestrians’ Initial Trust Questionnaire for AVs) scale using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The proposed scale will be valuable in monitoring the progression of trust over time and considering trust-related factors during the design process. The results revealed that seven key constructs significantly contribute to predicting initial trust between pedestrians and AVs. These constructs include propensity to trust, perceived statistical reliability, dependability and competence, perceived predictability, familiarity, authority/subversion, care/harm, and sanctity/degradation. These shed light on how the trust propensity of individuals, different trust/trustworthiness attributes might constitute different aspects of initial trust in the pedestrian-AV context. The developed scale can be a potentially useful tool for future research endeavors concerning trust calibration and the design of AVs specifically tailored for vulnerable road users.