Our approach to travel behaviour

Research has consistently shown that human behaviour is not a clear and rational response to stimuli (and travel behaviour is no exception). Our actions are influenced by a wide range of aspects that guide our lives, including attitudes, habits, emotions, heuristics, social norms and situational constraints.  If we are to change behaviour, we need to understand and consider the complexities of what drives behaviour.

In order to change, people need viable alternatives. A well-kept cycle path or an integrated bus route can deliver the functional availability for behaviour change. But often it takes something more; the belief that “If you build it, they will come” hasn’t developed as well as once hoped.
People need to be made aware of new services, and how these services apply to their lives. It’s unlikely that people will seek out information on new travel modes without some prompting, and they may not even process information that challenges their current habits.

When we discuss habits, we are talking about the deeply ingrained way that we perform actions – a morning coffee, a mid-morning snack, or driving the car to work/school. Common actions that require little thought and quickly become routine parts of the day. The CTP views car use as a habitual behaviour – a person don’t weigh the pros and cons of driving before each journey, it’s just something that person does each day. Habits endure because (as anyone who’s ever tried to break one will testify) they’re hard to break.

Understanding the role of a habit in behaviour, that automatic and impulsive drive to perform an action, opens up new ways to engage people. Knowing what drives a habit, the social and personal constructs that define the strength of a habit, all of these factors give us an insight into how these habits can be challenged, and what can be done to instil new habitual patterns of behaviour – like using healthier and sustainable transport modes.

It is this understanding of human behaviour that gives us the edge in discussing behaviour change. Knowing the fine detail of our mental constructs allows us to develop new methods of intervention and analyse what really motivates travel behaviour, and how to establish long-lasting sustainable travel habits.

Lifecourse
As an example of a way to challenge travel habits, let’s take a look at how our travel needs change as we move through our lives. New events and circumstances alter the way we see transport – what was once fun now needs to be practicable, what was practicable now needs to be comfortable.

A new event in someone’s life causes change- having a child, moving home, a new job or starting university for example. Through our lives we are adapting and changing our view on the world to accommodate these.

We know from research that one of the key ingredients for habits is a stable context. Settling into a mental routine is easier if nothing changes, nothing challenges the habit. A life event can disturb the normal pattern, which in turn disrupts the strength of a habit. Targeting interventions for people who have recently undergone a life event can draw on the change in their lives and make a new, more sustainable option more palatable. For example if someone has recently moved home, their travel habits will be weaker as they adjust to a new route to travel. This could, with the right handling, be a pivotal moment in breaking down a habit, or making a new one stronger. Capitalising on the change in a non-intrusive way and delivering useful information in a time of change can help make the program more acceptable.

The CTP has undertaken published research in this area, and with their experience in practical implementation, can develop a detailed plan to harness a life-change style intervention for a general population.

If you would like to hear more about what programs we can be involved with, or to discuss how our view of travel behaviour can be applied to your programs, you can contact us by clicking here