Attitude change in personal travel - A qualitative investigation

Abstract

Promoting non-car-mode travel has potential to contribute to reduced sedentary behaviour and the risk of respiratory health issues. But it is unclear how best to promote these alternatives. Psychological antecedents of non-car travel and switching from car to non-car use have been modelled. Qualitative investigation of these antecedents can highlight change processes and instability of psychological antecedents, including attitudes. We explored variability of transport attitudes in response to different personal goals, considering a range of transport modes. Laddering interviews were conducted with three distinct transport mode users to investigate underlying hierarchical goal and value structures. Comparison of drivers and non-drivers identified differences regarding physical activity, environment and social relationships. Results highlight that travel model attitudes are changeable and sensitive to prompted goals, showing that people’s view of non-car mode transport may change over time and place. These insights imply that different communicative strategies can be effective for different people under different circumstances. The findings have implications both for future attitude measurement and intervention design.