Clothier Reece A, Greer Dominique A, Greer Duncan G, Mehta Amisha M
Sir Lawrence Wackett Aerospace Research Centre, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia.
QUT Business School, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4001, Australia.
Risk Anal. 2015 Jun;35(6):1167-83. doi: 10.1111/risa.12330. Epub 2015 Feb 17.
Unmanned aircraft, or drones, are a rapidly emerging sector of the aviation industry. There has been limited substantive research, however, into the public perception and acceptance of drones. This article presents the results from two surveys of the Australian public designed to investigate (1) whether the public perceive drones to be riskier than existing manned aviation, (2) whether the terminology used to describe the technology influences public perception, and (3) what the broader concerns are that may influence public acceptance of the technology. We find that the Australian public currently hold a relatively neutral attitude toward drones. Respondents did not consider the technology to be overly unsafe, risky, beneficial, or threatening. Drones are largely viewed as being of comparable risk to that of existing manned aviation. Furthermore, terminology had a minimal effect on the perception of the risks or acceptability of the technology. The neutral response is likely due to a lack of knowledge about the technology, which was also identified as the most prevalent public concern as opposed to the risks associated with its use. Privacy, military use, and misuse (e.g., terrorism) were also significant public concerns. The results suggest that society is yet to form an opinion of drones. As public knowledge increases, the current position is likely to change. Industry communication and media coverage will likely influence the ultimate position adopted by the public, which can be difficult to change once established.
无人驾驶飞机，即无人机，是航空业中一个迅速崛起的领域。然而，对于公众对无人机的认知和接受度，实质性研究有限。本文展示了两项针对澳大利亚公众的调查结果，旨在调查：（1）公众是否认为无人机比现有的载人航空更具风险；（2）用于描述该技术的术语是否会影响公众认知；（3）可能影响公众对该技术接受度的更广泛担忧是什么。我们发现，澳大利亚公众目前对无人机持相对中立的态度。受访者并不认为该技术过于不安全、有风险、有益或具有威胁性。无人机在很大程度上被视为与现有的载人航空风险相当。此外，术语对该技术风险认知或可接受性的影响微乎其微。这种中立的反应可能是由于对该技术缺乏了解，这也被确定为最普遍的公众担忧，而非与其使用相关的风险。隐私、军事用途和滥用（如恐怖主义）也是公众的重大担忧。结果表明，社会尚未对无人机形成看法。随着公众知识的增加，当前立场可能会改变。行业沟通和媒体报道可能会影响公众最终采取的立场，而一旦确立，这种立场可能很难改变。
