Attitudes, Time Pressure, and Behavior Change Techniques Affect Route Journey Planning Decisions: Evidence from an RCT

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Maier, Emma; Turner-Brown, Le wis; Broadbent, Andrew and Freeman, Jonathan. 2025. Attitudes, Time Pressure, and Behavior Change Techniques Affect Route Journey Planning Decisions: Evidence from an RCT. Sustainability, 17(3), 1297. ISSN 2071-1050 [Article]

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Official URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/3/1297

Abstract or Description

Transport emissions are a major contributor to global CO2 emissions, requiring interventions to promote sustainable travel behaviors. This study examines how behavior change techniques (BCTs), attitudinal and behavioral segmentation, and time pressure influence green route selection in a simulated journey-planning app. Using a randomized 2 × 3 × 3 factorial design, 600 UK participants completed travel booking tasks under three time-pressure scenarios (low, moderate, high) using either a control app or a BCT-enhanced intervention app. Participants were segmented based on environmental attitudes, public transport preferences, and travel needs. Multilevel logistic regression showed significant main effects for condition, segment, and time pressure. Participants using the intervention app were more likely to select green routes (5.39, p < 0.001). Segments with a more positive attitude to public transport demonstrated higher baseline green route selection compared to those with low public transport attitudes (odds ratio [OR] = 0.31, p = 0.020). Moderate time pressure facilitated the highest likelihood of green route selection, while low (OR = 0.16, p < 0.001) and high (OR = 0.48, p < 0.001) time pressures reduced green bookings. Interaction effects were non-significant, potentially reflecting the sample size. The findings highlight the potential of BCT-enhanced apps to promote sustainable travel, particularly when tailored to user segments and designed to address time pressure. Future research should explore real-world applications and intervention durability.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.3390/su17031297

Additional Information:

Funding: This research was funded as part of a 2-year Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership between Goldsmiths, University of London, and the European R&D Centre, Hitachi Europe Ltd.

Data Access Statement:

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors upon request.

Keywords:

sustainable mobility; environmental behavior; behavior change; behavior change techniques; attitudinal segmentation; time pressure; mobility as a service; MaaS; randomized controlled trial; factorial study

Departments, Centres and Research Units:

Psychology > Centre for Cognition, Computation and Culture (CCCC)
Psychology

Dates: