Sebastian Bamberg

Choice of Travel Mode in the Theory of Planned Behavior: The Roles of Past Behavior, Habit, and Reasoned Action

Relying on the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991), a longitudinal study investigated the effects of an intervention-introduction of a prepaid bus ticket-on increased bus use among college students. In this context, the logic of the proposition that past behavior is the best predictor of later behavior was also examined. The intervention was found to influence attitudes toward bus use, subjective norms, and perceptions of behavioral control and, consistent with the theory, to affect intentions and behavior in the desired direction. Furthermore, the theory afforded accurate prediction of intention and behavior both before and after the intervention. In contrast, a measure of past behavior improved prediction of travel mode prior to the intervention, but lost its predictive utility for behavior following the intervention. In a test of the proposition that the effect of past on later behavior is due to habit formation, an independent measure of habit failed to mediate the effects of past on later behavior. It is concluded that choice of travel mode is largely a reasoned decision; that this decision can be affected by interventions that produce change in attitudes, subjective norms, and perceptions of behavioral control; and that past travel choice contributes to the prediction of later behavior only if circumstances remain relatively stable.

How does environmental concern influence specific environmentally related behaviors? A new answer to an old question

Abstract The disappointment about the weak direct relationship between environmental concern and specific environmentally related behaviors is due to the incorrect assumption that general attitudes like environmental concern are direct determinants of specific behaviors. Because only situation-specific cognitions are direct determinants of specific behaviors, future research should no longer view environmental concern as a direct, but as an important indirect determinant of specific behavior. As a general orientation pattern it influences the definition of a specific situation that is the generation of situation-specific cognitions. Results of a study analysing high vs low environmentally concerned students’ decision to request an information brochure about green electricity products confirms this assumption.

Incentives, Morality, Or Habit? Predicting Students’ Car Use for University Routes With the Models of Ajzen, Schwartz, and Triandis

The predictive power of the Ajzen, Triandis, and Schwartz models are compared in the context of car use for university routes. Two hundred fifty-four students filled out a questionnaire designed to measure the components of the three models. In the prediction of intention to use a car, results indicated that one variable from the Trinandis model—role beliefs—increased the explanatory power offered by the components of the Ajzen model. In the prediction of self-reported car use, one variable of the Triandis model—car use habit—significantly increased the predictive power of the Ajzen model. The central variable of the Schwartz model—personal norm—exerted no significant effect either on intention or on behavior. The implications of the findings for interventions to reduce the car use of students for university routes are discussed.

Is a Residential Relocation a Good Opportunity to Change People’s Travel Behavior? Results From a Theory-Driven Intervention Study:

This article presents an experimental, theory-driven evaluation of the effectiveness of an intervention that combines a free public transportation ticket and personal schedule information on the subsequent use of public transportation in an urban area. The time point when participants received this intervention is unusual. It was delivered to them shortly after a residential relocation. It is assumed that such a situation increases people’s responsiveness to the intervention. At their new living place, the intervention group shows a strong increase in public transportation use. The intervention effect on the individual choice process is modeled via Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior. Besides a main effect on intention, results indicate interactions between the intervention and the change intention existing prior to the move and higher objective public transport service quality after the move.

Are Effects of Travel Feedback Programs Correctly Assessed

It has been claimed that travel feedback programs (TFPs) are effective in reducing levels of car-use related congestion, noise, and air pollution. This article examines this claim, noting that many evaluation studies have employed less than optimal research designs. Demonstrating the use of meta-analysis, the results of 15 Japanese TFPs show that the effect sizes estimated for the frequently used research design lacking adequate control groups differ from the effect sizes estimated for research designs including adequate control groups. In addition, estimates of the homogeneity of treatment effects appear to differ, thus suggesting that inferences of causes of the effectiveness of a TFP vary with research design.

Die Messung von Werten mit dem “Portraits Value Questionnaire”

Zusammenfassung: In zwei Stichproben wird eine deutschsprachige 40-Item Version des “Portraits Value Questionnaire” (PVQ) validiert; in einer dritten Stichprobe (European Social Survey) wird eine verkurzte Version mit 21 Items dieses Werteinventars validiert. Bei dem PVQ handelt es sich um ein von Shalom Schwartz neu entwickeltes Instrument zur Uberprufung seiner Theorie grundlegender menschlicher Werte. Die Aufgabenstellung des PVQ unterscheidet sich konzeptionell deutlich von der des bisher verwendeten Standardinstrumentes “Schwartz Value Survey” (SVS). Das neue Instrument ist besonders fur Probanden mit mittlerer und niedriger Schulbildung geeignet. Unsere Ergebnisse belegen die instrumentenunabhangige Validitat der von Schwartz postulierten Wertetheorie. Der Vergleich mit dem SVS belegt die konvergente und diskriminante Validitat der mit dem PVQ gemessenen zehn Wertetypen. Auch die vorhergesagten Beziehungen der Wertetypen mit zwei externen Konstrukten belegen die Konstruktvaliditat des PVQ. In einer ...

THE IMPACT OF GENERAL ATTITUDE ON DECISIONS A FRAMING APPROACH

In this paper, a two-step model of human decisions is formulated and tested. In the first step, a frame becomes active that determines both the feasible set of alternatives and the criteria that are used to choose an alternative. In the second step, these criteria are applied to select a specific alternative. Our model enables the integration of psychological attitude research within the rational-choice approach. General attitudes affect frame setting, but they have no direct effect on the choice of an alternative. The two-step model is supported by empirical data. In a panel study it could be demonstrated that two different frames are active within a sample of students that determine their travel decisions of their ways from home to university. The general attitude toward travel policies influence the frames. Environmental aspects are salient within one frame but not within the other one.

Überzeugungssysteme in einem zweistufigen Modell rationaler Handlungen

Zusammenfassung Ausgehend von der begrenzten menschlichen Informationsverarbeitungskapazität wird rationales Handeln als ein zweistufiger Prozeß modelliert. In der ersten Stufe erfolgt mit der Rahmung zunächst die Festlegung der relevanten Handlungsalternativen und der Entscheidungskriterien, die dann auf der zweiten Stufe die Auswahl einer Alternative bestimmen. Individuelle Wertorientierungen und allgemeine Einstellungen spielen in der ersten Stufe eine zentrale Rolle, da sie unterschiedliche subjektive Rahmungen der gleichen objektiven Situation hervorrufen können. Daten einer Evaluationsstudie zur Einführung des Semestertickets an der Universität Gießen bestätigen diese Auffassung. Bei der Verkehrsmittelwahl für den Weg zur Hochschule lassen sich unter den Studierenden zwei Subpopulationen mit unterschiedlichen Rahmungen identifizieren, wobei eine Gruppe allein nach Effizienzkriterien entscheidet, während die andere auch das Kriterium ‘Umweltfreundlichkeit’ berücksichtigt. Beide Gruppen reagieren unterschiedlich auf die Einführung des Semestertickets.

Does Money Matter? A Theory- Driven Growth Mixture Model to Explain Travel-Mode Choice with Experimental Data

In the present article we apply a growth mixture model using Mplus via STREAMS to delineate the mechanism underlying travel-mode choice. Three waves of an experimental field study conducted in Frankfurt Main, Germany, are applied for the statistical analysis. Five major questions are addressed: (1) whether the choice of public transport rather than the car changes over time; (2) whether a soft policy intervention to change travel mode choice has any effect on the travel-mode chosen; (3) whether one can identify different groups of people regarding the importance allocated to monetary and time considerations for the decision of which travel mode to use; (4) whether the different subgroups of people have different initial states and rates of change in their travel-model choices; (5) whether sociodemographic variables have an additional effect on the latent class variables and on the changes in travel-mode choice over time. We also found that choice of public transportation in our study is stable over time. ...

Wie gut erklären „enge“ oder „weite“ Rational-Choice- Versionen Verhaltensveränderungen?

Die Rational-Choice Theorie (RCT) ist eine der wenigen theoretischen Perspektiven, die in so unterschiedlichen sozialwissenschaftlichen Disziplinen wie Okonomie, Soziologie, Sozialpsychologie, Politikwissenschaften und Geschichte ihre Anwendung findet (z.B. Becker, 1976; Brunner, 1987; Coleman, 1990; Frey, 1990; McKenzie & TuUock, 1978; Ramb & Tietzel, 1993; Radnitzky & Bernholz, 1987, Simon, 1997). Dies stutzt zum einen den Anspruch der RCT, eine allgemeine Verhaltenstheorie zu sein, zum anderen zeigt sich darin jedoch auch das transdisziplinare Potenzial dieses theoretischen Ansatzes. Allgemein werden folgende drei Annahmen als nomologischer Kern der RCT angesehen (vgl. Coleman, 1990; Opp, 1999; Lakatos, 1970).