ABSTRACT

Public perception of the next generation of vehicles will affect their design, deployment, and ultimately their use. As the engineering terms of self-driving, driverless, fully automated, and autonomous were introduced to the social sciences and the public at large, the subtle differences among these terms have been lost. However, using them as synonyms even though they may not be interchangeable is problematic. To explore the semantics of different future vehicle terms we surveyed 963 Michigan residents on their understanding of “autonomous” and “self-driving.” We found significant differences in perceptions between the terms autonomous and self-driving vehicles. While the former invokes many more uncertain responses, the latter is laden with concerns. These results suggest that the language used to describe the next generation of vehicles may shape public reaction and acceptance. As new mobility options are introduced to the public, our understanding of them will be shaped, in part, by the language used to name and explain the technology. Far from being inconsequential, word choice plays a major, yet underappreciated, role in shaping public opinion.

摘要

公众对下一代车辆的看法将影响它们的设计、部署以及最终的使用。随着自动驾驶、无人驾驶、全自动和自主这些工程术语被引入社会科学和广大公众，这些术语之间的细微差别已经丢失。但是，将它们用作同义词即使它们可能不可互换也是有问题的。为了探索不同未来车辆术语的语义，我们调查了 963 名密歇根州居民，了解他们对“自主”和“自动驾驶”的理解。我们发现自动驾驶汽车和自动驾驶汽车这两个术语之间的认知存在显着差异。虽然前者引发了更多不确定的反应，但后者却充满了担忧。这些结果表明，用于描述下一代车辆的语言可能会影响公众的反应和接受度。随着向公众推出新的移动选项，我们对它们的理解将部分取决于用于命名和解释技术的语言。词汇选择远非无关紧要，而是在塑造公众舆论方面发挥着重要但未被充分认识的作用。