A conceptual analysis of the role of attitudes and values in car-use reduction interventions

A conceptual analysis is presented of the role of attitudes and values in voluntary-change interventions aimed at making households reduce urban travel by private car. Following a section clarifying the relationships between attitude, value and behavior, one section focuses on how attitudes allow people to make relatively stable evaluations of travel options, and another section on how attitudes are related to satisfaction with travel. In a third section the analysis is presented of how awareness of adverse environmental consequences and value priorities through pro-environmental attitudes influence attitudes to reduce car use which in conjunction with perceived behavioral control and norms determine intentions to reduce car use. Whether intentions are implemented depends on actual behavioral control influenced by opportunities and constraints. Illustrative key studies are in each section briefly reviewed and discussed. Based on empirical studies, the conclusion is drawn that value-based pro-environmental attitudes motivate car-use reduction but that there are several both facilitating and hindering factors. Furthermore, some users of private cars have negative attitudes to alternative travel modes and hence to car-use reduction. Voluntary-change measures therefore need to be complemented by improvements of alternatives to car use as well as prohibition and pricing measures targeting car use. How these transport policy measures should be mixed deserves more attention.