Advanced driver assistance systems, such as adaptive cruise control (ACC), aim to support the driver by automating driving subtasks, for example, speed and distance control. In order to adequately make use of such systems in a safe manner, a correct mental model of the system's functionality is required. The present study investigated the effects of preliminary information about an ACC on the mental model and trust in the system over time. A matched sample of 51 participants drawn from 396 applicants was assigned to three experimental conditions. Every group received one of three different descriptions of an ACC, realistic, idealistic and wrong. The realistic scenario informed participants of all potential system failures; the idealistic one contained no information about possible failures; and the wrong scenario gave additional information about potential failures that, however, did not occur. All participants drove the same 56-km track of highway in a driving simulator three times within 6 weeks. Results of the sampling process, effects of preliminary information on the mental model as well as changes in trust over time are presented. (Author/publisher)
Samenvatting