AUTHOR=Cheng Peiyao , Meng Fangang , Yao Jie , Wang Yiran 

TITLE=Driving With Agents: Investigating the Influences of Anthropomorphism Level and Physicality of Agents on Drivers' Perceived Control, Trust, and Driving Performance

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.883417

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2022.883417

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Driven by artificial intelligence, many automotive manufacturers have integrated intelligent agents into in-vehicle information systems (IVIS) to create more meaningful interactions. One of the most important decisions to develop agents is how to embody them, because the different ways of embodying agents will significantly affect user perception and performance. This study addressed the issue by investigating the influences of agent embodiments on users in driving contexts. Through a factorial experiment (N=116), the effects of anthropomorphism level (low vs. high) and physicality (virtual vs. physical presence) on users’ trust, perceived control, and driving performance were examined. Results revealed an interaction effect between anthropomorphism level and physicality on both users’ perceived control and trust. Specifically, when encountering high-level anthropomorphized agents, consumers reported lower ratings on trust of the physically present agent than the virtually present one, and this interaction effect was mediated by perceived control. Although no main effects of anthropomorphism level or physicality were found, additional analyses showed that anthropomorphism level significantly improved users’ trust for those unfamiliar with IVIS. No differences were found in terms of driving performances. These results indicate how embodiments of in-vehicle agents influence drivers’ experience and performance.