The psychology of automation

Sophia Prix and Emanuel de Bellis

Chapter 7 in Handbook of Social Psychology and Consumer Behavior, 2026, pp 84-99 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: From robot vacuums to self-driving cars, autonomous technologies increasingly take over everyday tasks. But while they offer gains in efficiency and convenience, delegating tasks to technologies that operate on their own raises fundamental psychological questions for consumers. Drawing on self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), we examine how basic psychological needs shape consumers’ adoption and use of autonomous technologies. First, autonomous technologies threaten consumers’ need for autonomy because they themselves exhibit high levels of autonomy. Second, they undermine the need for competence when consumers attribute positive outcomes to the technology rather than to themselves. Third, they both support and challenge the need for relatedness, as anthropomorphized technologies offer social connection but may foster unrealistic expectations. We identify design interventions to mitigate these threats and outline future research opportunities. This chapter provides the first systematic application of self-determination theory to explain consumer responses to autonomous technologies.

Keywords: Automation; Autonomous technologies; Artificial intelligence; Consumer-technology interaction; Psychology of technology (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035327591
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