Anchoring Autonomy: Understanding Seafarers’ Interaction with Energy Efficiency Decision Support Systems for Route Planning and the Role of Basic Psychological Needs

Onboard Decision Support Systems (DSS) for energy-efficient maritime route planning can be critical in achieving global goals for carbon reduction and sus-tainable transportation. However, research has shown that seafarers’ fuel reduc-tion behaviors are hindered by goal conflicts and workload, reducing motivation and efficient use of automated supporting systems. Therefore, we examined sea-farers’ (N = 22) interactions with a DSS while planning routes in a high-fidelity bridge simulator. To gain a comprehensive picture, we assessed Usability, User Experience, Workload, Basic Psychological Need (BPN) fulfillment and Prefer-ences for Automation Types, and conducted interviews. Despite positive system evaluation, especially hedonic User Experience, our analysis of BPN data points towards a perception of reduced autonomy when using the DSS. Similarly, sea-farers frequently requested features increasing their autonomy (e.g. route editing). Our findings highlight the significance of considering BPNs, especially autono-my, in the human-centered design of DSS and automated tools for maritime transportation. Prioritizing these aspects can contribute to broader environmental and efficiency goals.