Workshop B3 Evolving Behaviour in the Context of Growing Interest in Environmental Sustainability

Eric Molin, Mark Bradley: Chairs

Stacey Bricka: Rapporteur

Contributed papers… Davy Janssens, Tom Bellemans, Elke Moons, Geert

Wets, Simulating Emergent Behavior and Evolution of Activity-Travel Patterns: Data Collection Challenges

Kelly van Bladel, Tom Bellemans, Davy Janssens, Geert Wets, Linda Nijland, Theo A. Arentze and Harry J.P. Timmermans, Design of Stated Adaptation Experiments: Discussion of Some Issues and Experiences

Behrens Roger and Romano Del Mistro,Analysing changing personal travel behaviour over time: Methodological lessons from the application of retrospective surveys in Cape Town

Gerd Sammer, Christian Gruber, Reinhardt Hoessinger, Gerald Roeschel, Level of knowledge and awareness about choice alternatives – a missing link of stated response surveys? A hypothesis

Resource paper Peter Bonsall,

What is so special about surveys designed to investigate the sustainability of travel behaviour?

Discussant Randi Hjorthol

Behavioural changes toward environmental sustainability

Buy smaller, more efficient cars Buy alternative fuel vehicles Drive slower / more efficiently Shorten trips by chaining/choosing new destinations Shorten trips by moving to more compact area Reduce work trips by telecommuting Reduce other trips by substituting in-home activities More ridesharing Use transit more often (bus, rail) Change mode to walking, cycling

– For monitoring trends: personal travel records (e.g. N TS), car ownership data, omnibus attitude surveys, traffic monitoring (all modes), odometer records, fuel sales, and telework statistics.

– For assessing the effect of local initiatives: local travel diary surveys (with control studies) conducted by disinterested parties, traffic monitoring (all modes), odometer readings, and GPS records (if detailed information is required)

– In order to increase understanding of factors affecting behaviour: exploratory interviews, stated adaptation surveys, and stated preference surveys

–  As a basis for behavioural modelling: exploratory interviews and stated adaptation surveys, stated preference surveys, detailed travel activity diaries from panels and cross sections, and attitudinal questionnaires.

Social Desirability Bias people, wishing to project a positive image of themselves, tend to

exaggerate positive aspects of their behaviour (and downplay the negatives) (“impression management”)

(Non) Response Bias people are more likely to respond to a survey if they share the (typically

pro-environmental) values of its sponsors

Affirmation Bias tendency of people to report what they think the interviewer wants to hear

Stakeholder Bias tendency of people to report favourably on something to which they feel

an affinity

Selective reporting of results

tendency for successes to be reported more widely than failures

The existence of potential biases (particularly social desirability bias) makes this a mine field!

No single technique can be relied on to give a complete and unbiased picture

Analysts should proceed with care and, where possible try to use data from a variety of sources (preferably ones which are unlikely to suffer from the same biases!).

The choice sources will depend on the purpose of the exercise but some seem more sensible than others:

Research Priorities (1) Devise and test techniques to identify and quantify the

perception of constraints and ability to change Study the importance of various types of biases for

various survey methods in this context Look at the relationship between social/community

attitudes and non-response bias Focus on the role of information in attitudes and

behavior… also relationship with response bias Tele-modes, in-home versus out-of-home Perception of / feedback from environmental

consequences of own behavior Relationship with other types of sustainable behavior

(substitutes or complements with effort and money) Integrate qualitative and quantitative methods

Research Priorities (2) More attention to individual travel/activity pre-planning

processes > how intentions become behavior, spontaneous vs. planned behavior (Link to theory of planned behavior, social learning theory, …)

Historical research into travel marketing themes, political and activist campaign themes, advertising of consumer goods (cars)

Best practice guidance in measuring and interpreting attitudes and relationship to behavior (survey protocols, references, caveats/warnings)

Synthesis of methods from other disciplines (eco-psychology, health/epidemiology, sociology, criminology/ethics, …) Contributed papers for workshop at next conference (by teleconference?)

Question 1Suppose that the organizers of this conference in Annecy had

decided to offer a travel-free method of participating in the workshops by videoconference (two-way visual interaction).

The price of “attending” in this way is offered at 300 Euros, and requires a simple software program and inexpensive camera and microphone to be connected to your computer.

If this option had been available to you, what would you have done?

A) Paid full conference price and travel to AnnecyB) Pay 300 Euros and “attend” by videoconference

Question 2This question is the same as Question 1, but now a

generous sponsor has subsidized the conference and the equipment so that people who “attend” by videoconference can do so at no charge.

If this option had been available to you, what would you have done?

A) Paid full conference price and travel to Annecy

B) Pay nothing and “attend” by videoconference

% choosing videoconference

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

300 Euros Free

% choosing videoconference

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

300 Euros Free 300 Euros +information

% choosing videoconference

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

300 Euros Free 300 Euros +information

300 Euros +information +

disclosure

Question 3Now, suppose that the conference organizers also provided you with the

following information…Traveling by air typically generates about 100 grams of CO2 per passenger-km.Traveling by car typically generates about 50 grams of CO2 per passenger-km. So, avoiding a 20,000 km round-trip air journey to Annecy would be the same

as avoiding 10,000 km of car trips.Also, CO2 emissions from aircraft in the upper atmosphere are thought to be

much worse than ground-level emissions in causing climate change.With this information, and at a price of 300 Euros to attend by

videoconference, what would you have done?

A) Paid full conference price and travel to AnnecyB) Pay 300 Euros and “attend” by videoconference

Question 4Finally, this question is identical to Question 3, but,

with the additional information that I am going to report the group’s overall response to this question at tomorrow’s workshop presentation.

Now what do you say you would have done?

A) Paid full conference price and travel to Annecy

B) Pay 300 Euros and “attend” by videoconference