How does environmental concern influence mode choice habits? A mediation analysis
Bouscasse, Joly, Bonnel, 2018, in Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
doi:10.1016/j.trd.2018.01.007
Location |
Rhône-Alpes region, France |
Population |
General |
Sample size |
1061 |
Factor analysis type |
exploratory factor analysis, promax rotation |
Stepwise regression |
no |
Removal of insignificant variables |
yes |
Reviewed by |
LCM |
Abstract
Starting from the intuition that people with high environmental concern have a better perception of public transport and therefore a better perception of the utility of public transport, we construct a theoretical model in which the effect of environmental concern on mode choice habits is mediated by the indirect utility of travel. Travel procures the direct utility of providing access to activities, but it also offers an indirect utility that is inherently personal and perceptual. We approach the indirect utility of public transport by measuring perceptions of time and feelings. The indirect utility of the car is approached by measuring affective and symbolic motives. Taking into account car use habits and habits of public transport use, the results show that people who have a high environmental concern perceive public transport use as easier, more useful and more pleasurable than people who do not have that environmental motivation. Such positive attitudes foster public transport use. Conversely, low environmental concern generates non-instrumental motives for car use, such as affective and symbolic motives. However, the relationship between affective and symbolic motives and car use habits is not robust. We can conclude that environmental concern influences mode choice habits and that the effect is partially mediated by perceptions and feelings towards public transport but not significantly by affective and symbolic motives for car use. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd
Factors
Models
Source variable |
Target variable |
Effect |
p-value |
Effect type |
Environmental concern |
Car use habits |
-0.678 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Source variable |
Target variable |
Effect |
p-value |
Effect type |
Environmental concern |
Affective and symbolic motives for car use |
-0.483 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Affective and symbolic motives for car use |
Car use habits |
0.471 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Source variable |
Target variable |
Effect |
p-value |
Effect type |
Environmental concern |
PT habits |
0.778 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Source variable |
Target variable |
Effect |
p-value |
Effect type |
Environmental concern |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
0.662 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
PT habits |
0.467 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Source variable |
Target variable |
Effect |
p-value |
Effect type |
Age |
Environmental concern |
0.02 |
0.001 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
Environmental concern |
-0.0002 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
Environmental concern |
-0.051 |
0.059 |
direct_effect |
Environmental concern |
Affective and symbolic motives for car use |
-0.443 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age |
Affective and symbolic motives for car use |
-0.015 |
0.012 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
Affective and symbolic motives for car use |
9e-05 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
Affective and symbolic motives for car use |
0.105 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Affective and symbolic motives for car use |
Car use habits |
0.114 |
0.098 |
direct_effect |
Environmental concern |
Car use habits |
-0.585 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age |
Car use habits |
0.053 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
Car use habits |
-0.001 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
Car use habits |
0.047 |
0.366 |
direct_effect |
Urban |
Car use habits |
-0.236 |
0.002 |
direct_effect |
Household |
Car use habits |
0.168 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Source variable |
Target variable |
Effect |
p-value |
Effect type |
Age |
Environmental concern |
0.025 |
0.002 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
Environmental concern |
-0.0002 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
Environmental concern |
-0.057 |
0.084 |
direct_effect |
Environmental concern |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
0.645 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
-0.007 |
0.382 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
0.0001 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
0.072 |
0.058 |
direct_effect |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
PT habits |
0.241 |
0.004 |
direct_effect |
Environmental concern |
PT habits |
0.39 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age |
PT habits |
-0.081 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
PT habits |
0.001 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
PT habits |
0.053 |
0.422 |
direct_effect |
Urban |
PT habits |
0.346 |
0.003 |
direct_effect |
Source variable |
Target variable |
Effect |
p-value |
Effect type |
Age |
Environmental concern |
0.024 |
0.003 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
Environmental concern |
-0.0002 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
Environmental concern |
-0.06 |
0.069 |
direct_effect |
Environmental concern |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
0.651 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
-0.006 |
0.453 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
0.0001 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
0.077 |
0.043 |
direct_effect |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
PT habits |
0.233 |
0.007 |
direct_effect |
Environmental concern |
PT habits |
0.438 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age |
PT habits |
-0.082 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
PT habits |
0.001 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
PT habits |
0.073 |
0.29 |
direct_effect |
Urban |
PT habits |
0.385 |
0.002 |
direct_effect |
Environmental concern |
Car use habits |
-0.563 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age |
Car use habits |
0.057 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
Car use habits |
-0.001 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
Car use habits |
0.057 |
0.3 |
direct_effect |
Urban |
Car use habits |
-0.254 |
0.002 |
direct_effect |
Household |
Car use habits |
0.155 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
PT habits |
Car use habits |
-0.233 |
0.0 |
covariance |
Source variable |
Target variable |
Effect |
p-value |
Effect type |
Age |
Environmental concern |
0.024 |
0.003 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
Environmental concern |
-0.0002 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
Environmental concern |
-0.061 |
0.065 |
direct_effect |
Environmental concern |
Affective and symbolic motives for car use |
-0.376 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age |
Affective and symbolic motives for car use |
-0.015 |
0.012 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
Affective and symbolic motives for car use |
9e-05 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
Affective and symbolic motives for car use |
0.105 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Environmental concern |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
0.698 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
-0.007 |
0.382 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
0.001 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
0.08 |
0.046 |
direct_effect |
Perceptions and feelings towards public transport |
PT habits |
0.221 |
0.009 |
direct_effect |
Environmental concern |
PT habits |
0.445 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age |
PT habits |
-0.082 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
PT habits |
0.001 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
PT habits |
0.074 |
0.29 |
direct_effect |
Urban |
PT habits |
0.385 |
0.002 |
direct_effect |
Affective and symbolic motives for car use |
Car use habits |
0.091 |
0.194 |
direct_effect |
Environmental concern |
Car use habits |
-0.521 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age |
Car use habits |
0.057 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Age2 |
Car use habits |
-0.001 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
Gender |
Car use habits |
0.048 |
0.383 |
direct_effect |
Urban |
Car use habits |
-0.249 |
0.002 |
direct_effect |
Household |
Car use habits |
0.16 |
0.0 |
direct_effect |
PT habits |
Car use habits |
-0.229 |
0.0 |
covariance |