FREE TO MOVE...?! PSYCHOLOGICAL RESISTANCE AGAINST ATTEMPTS TO REDUCE PRIVATE CAR USE

An investigation is summarised on how to reduce car use by applying influence techniques based on behavioural science. Congestion and pollution, resulting from excessive car use, can be characterised as social dilemmas defined by two properties: (1) In the short term, each individual receives more benefit from selfish rather than cooperative behaviour, regardless of what others do. (2) In the long term, all individuals receive less benefit if all defect than if all cooperate. For example, car use gives individual drivers immediate benefits, but leads to serious collective problems. In a field experiment in The Netherlands, an attempt was made to stimulate drivers to use their cars more selectively, by providing them with information and feedback about different negative results of their car use. Although attitude changes were observed, the experimental treatments did not change the drivers' behaviour, because attempts to influence car use arouse psychological resistance. Thus the experiment had effects opposite to those intended. Some possible implications for policy making are discussed. For example, the effects of various measures cannot be assumed to be additive. For the covering abstract, see IRRD 889150.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0860502929
• Corporate Authors:

  PTRC Education and Research Services Limited

  Glenthorne House, Hammersmith Grove
  London W6OL9,   England 
• Authors:
  • TERTOOLEN, G
• Conference:
  • TRANSPORT POLICY AND ITS IMPLEMENTATION. PROCEEDINGS OF SEMINAR B HELD AT THE 24TH EUROPEAN TRANSPORT FORUM, BRUNEL UNIVERSITY, ENGLAND 2-6 SEPTEMBER 1996. VOLUME P402
• Publication Date: 1996

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 5 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Automobiles; Behavior; Drivers; Pollution; Research projects; Tests; Traffic congestion; Travel; Travelers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Decreases
• Geographic Terms: Netherlands
• ITRD Terms: 2267: Attitude (psychol); 9001: Behaviour; 1243: Car; 632: Congestion (traffic); 9009: Decrease; 1772: Driver; 698: Journey; 8078: Netherlands; 2453: Pollution; 8557: Research project; 1755: Road user; 6255: Test
• Subject Areas: Environment; Research; Safety and Human Factors; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00737425
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• ISBN: 0-86050-292-9
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Jun 27 1997 12:00AM