Autonomy loss, privacy invasion and data misuse as psychological barriers to peer-to-peer collaborative car use

Abstract

The present study aimed to identify psychological barriers which potentially prevent individuals from implementing collaborative car use in their every-day mobility behaviour. We suggested a model consisting of four psychological barriers: Autonomy Loss, Privacy Invasion, Interpersonal Distrust, and Data Misuse. Perceived Financial Benefit was included as a main incentive for collaborative car use. Using two samples, a community (N = 176) and a student sample (N = 265), three forms of peer-to-peer collaborative car use were examined: lending your own car to another private person (Lending To), renting a car from another private person (Renting From) and sharing rides with others (Ridesharing). For all three forms, a standardised questionnaire was developed which included the psychological barriers, self-reported collaborative car use intention and behaviour, and evaluations of scenarios. The results showed that different barriers predicted specific forms of collaborative car use: Autonomy Loss was connected negatively with Ridesharing and Privacy Invasion predicted Lending To negatively. Data Misuse was related negatively with Renting From, when the renting was arranged via internet. Interpersonal Distrust showed no predictive value for collaborative car use. Perceived Financial Benefit was a consistent incentive for all forms of collaborative car use. Overall, the results confirm the relevance of psychological barriers for collaborative car use. Practical implications to overcome the psychological barriers are discussed.

Keywords

• Collaborative car use
• Carsharing
• Ridesharing
• Psychological barriers
• Theory of planned behavior