Social Justice and the Public Acceptance of Autonomous Vehicles in South Korea

Abstract

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are poised to transform modern transport systems, yet their societal integration hinges critically on public acceptance. This study investigates how social justice perceptions—encompassing distributive, procedural, and interactional dimensions—shape both local and general acceptance of AVs, ultimately influencing behavioural intentions and collective action. Drawing on social justice theory, the Elaboration Likelihood Model, and public/private goods perspectives, the research examines whether argument quality and source credibility affect justice perceptions and how these perceptions translate into adoption outcomes.

An experimental survey (N=800) randomly assigned participants to scenarios manipulating argument quality (strong vs. weak), source credibility (high vs. low), and AV ownership (private vs. public). ANOVA and PLS-SEM analyses reveal that high-quality arguments consistently enhance all justice dimensions, whereas source credibility mainly affects distributive justice. Contrary to initial assumptions, framing AVs as private or public goods does not significantly moderate these effects. Heightened social justice perceptions strongly boost both local and general acceptance, driving individuals’ intention to use AVs and reducing collective resistance. However, local acceptance exerts a stronger influence on curbing organised opposition, while general acceptance more powerfully increases personal adoption intentions.

By elucidating the central role of social justice perceptions in AV deployment, this study contributes to theoretical discourse in three principal ways. First, it integrates social justice dimensions into technology acceptance frameworks, surpassing traditional models that focus primarily on utility and risk. Second, it refines the Elaboration Likelihood Model by illustrating how central and peripheral processing differentially influence various fairness dimensions, while argument quality remains decisive across all justice constructs. Third, it adopts a multilevel acceptance perspective, showing that local and general acceptance, though distinct, synergistically shape behavioural intentions and collective responses. These theoretical insights yield significant policy implications, emphasising the necessity for evidence-based frameworks that explicitly address equitable distribution, transparent governance, and meaningful stakeholder engagement. From a practical standpoint, industry practitioners can benefit from communicating robust, evidence-based arguments rather than relying heavily on source credibility, while concurrently addressing both community-level concerns and broader societal interests. Ultimately, this research provides stakeholders with a cohesive framework for embedding fairness at the heart of autonomous mobility adoption, enhancing public trust and mitigating resistance.

Date of Award	13 May 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Roberta Bernardi (Supervisor) & Minhao Zhang (Supervisor)