[sustran] Nudging People to Make Better Choices: Transport Applications

[Eric Britton]

This to my mind is my mind one of the very important tool sets for creating
a New Mobility Agenda that works. We hope that Erel will be sharing with us
the key papers and results of this session.  

 

 

Transport Studies Unit Open Seminar

Wednesday 10 December 2008 - 3pm, Boardroom, OUCE, Dyson Perrins Building,
South Parks Road, Oxford

Nudging People to Make Better Choices: Transport Applications

Dr Erel Avineri, Reader in Travel Behaviour, Centre for Transport & Society,
University of the West of England, Bristol.

 

Abstract

Travel behaviour has been an area of great interest to practitioners and
researchers ever since forecasting user choice was identified as crucial in
the planning and management of transport systems. Travel behaviour arising
from the choices of individuals is perhaps the most significant determinant
of performance of transport systems and effectiveness of transport schemes.
Realising that individuals' travel behaviour and choices do not necessarily
lead to economic, social and environmental wellbeing, governments all over
the world have been taking measures to change travel behaviour for the
benefit of society - usually by regulating the transport market, reform
pricing to improve efficiency, or (more recently) changing attitudes towards
transport alternatives.

Much of the behavioural theories in transport context are based on the
assumption the individual traveller is a 'homo economicus', a rational
economic human beings who, through choice-making, maximise her utilities. On
the other hand, recent empirical studies provide much evidence that in real
life the behaviour of travellers is typified by bounded rationality ('homo
psychologicus'). It has been argued that travellers' limited cognitive
resources have a strong effect on their travel-choice behaviour.

Inspired by the works of cognitive psychologists (such as Tversky &
Kahneman) and behavioural economists (such as Thaler & Sunstein) Dr Avineri
and his colleagues tested some of the paradigms in travel behaviour and
developed alternative models of travel-choice behaviour that can incorporate
awkward but important aspects of travel behaviour. It was found that while
travellers' choices can not be anticipated in a standard economic framework,
they can be explained and predicted by cognitive psychology models.
Moreover, it opens the opportunity to change travellers' behaviour towards
better alternatives - in a way that does not limit their freedom of choice
(or, as it is fashionable to say, people are 'nudge-able'). The seminar will
provide theoretical background, empirical findings and potential
applications in areas such as demand management, travel information systems,
travel plans and traffic calming.

 

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