Trolley dilemma in the sky: Context matters when civilians and cadets make remotely piloted aircraft decisions

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 16; no. 3; p. e0247273
• Main Authors: Christen, Markus, Narvaez, Darcia, Zenk, Julaine D, Villano, Michael, Crowell, Charles R, Moore, Daniel R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 23-03-2021; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Aircraft; Biology and Life Sciences; College students; Context; Decision analysis; Decision making; Decision theory; Drone aircraft; Editing; Emotions; Engineering and Technology; Firefighters; Forest & brush fires; Funding; Hypotheses; Methodology; Missions; Physical Sciences; Population characteristics; Psychological aspects; Psychology; Remotely piloted aircraft; Research and Analysis Methods; Simulation; Social aspects; Social Sciences; Surveillance; Trolleys; Visualization; Switzerland; Indiana; United States > US; Colorado
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0247273

Crews operating remotely piloted aircrafts (RPAs) in military operations may be among the few that truly experience tragic dilemmas similar to the famous Trolley Problem. In order to analyze decision-making and emotional conflict of RPA operators within Trolley-Problem-like dilemma situations, we created an RPA simulation that varied mission contexts (firefighter, military and surveillance as a control condition) and the social "value" of a potential victim. We found that participants (Air Force cadets and civilian students) were less likely to make the common utilitarian choice (sacrificing one to save five), when the value of the one increased, especially in the military context. However, in the firefighter context, this decision pattern was much less pronounced. The results demonstrate behavioral and justification differences when people are more invested in a particular context despite ostensibly similar dilemmas.