An overview of psychological factors in mobility choices: the impact on pro-environmental behavior

Abstract

Abstract Despite the current increased spread of modern mobility options in urban areas aimed at inducing changes in mobility choices, their integration into daily life remains sporadic, reducing their potential impact on the adoption of shared mobility services as a usual mode of transport. This paper provides a literature review of established models of psychological factors, including values, beliefs, and personal norms, particularly focused on pro-environmental behaviors influencing mobility choices and facilitating the adoption of more sustainable transportation habits, often supported by technological advancements. We started considering the recent increase in the complexity of cities and mobility needs, which induced policymakers to pay attention to the sustainability of people’s movements by promoting various kinds of shared mobility options. Then, we illustrated the most consolidated models of psychological factors linked to ecological behaviors, also summarizing the main results present in the literature regarding variables that influence mobility choices. The final goal was to highlight crucial aspects that should be considered to foster the effective use of new modes of transportation to help reduce the environmental impact caused by traffic.

Keywords

• Sustainable mobility
• Shared mobility
• Human factors
• Values-beliefs-norms theory
• Pro-environmental behavior