Consumer innovativeness and intentioned autonomous car adoption

This study analyzes the moderating effects of consumer innovativeness on the relationships between different antecedents of autonomous vehicle adoption and purchase intentions of autonomous cars by distinguishing between different levels of consumer innovativeness (high versus low). Drawing from research on consumer innovativeness and Venkatesh et al.'s (2003) unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), an empirical model was developed and tested with data collected through an online survey (n = 241) by the means of structural equation modelling (SEM) and multi-group analysis. The results provide evidence that performance expectancy, effort expectancy and social influence are positively related with purchase intentions of autonomous cars. Consumer innovativeness moderates the relationships between the constructs, whereas the effects are stronger when consumer innovativeness is high rather than when it is low.