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

<p dir="ltr">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 <i>propensity to trust, perceived statistical reliability, dependability and competence, perceived predictability, familiarity, authority/subversion, care/harm</i>, and <i>sanctity/degradation</i>. 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.</p>