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“To support or not to support, that is the question”. Testing the VBN theory in predicting support for car use reduction policies inRussia

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  • Ünal, Ayça Berfu
  • Steg, Linda
  • Granskaya, Juliana

Abstract

High use of motorized vehicles is a major cause of CO2 emissions, affecting the quality of the environment negatively. Employing policies that aim to reduce car use would be key to decrease transport-related emissions. However, such policies need to be accepted by the public to be successful. In the current paper, we examine whether support for car use reduction policies can be predicted by the Value-Belief-Norm theory (VBN; Stern, 2000), reflecting a process of value triggered norm-activation about reducing one’s car use. Notably, we tested the VBN theory in Russia, which is a post-socialist country with a high car use and high transport-related CO2 emissions. As expected, findings indicate that high endorsement of biospheric values is associated with high environmental concern, which is related to an increased awareness of environmental consequences of car use, and a high ascription of responsibility of one’s own contribution to environmental problems related to car use. This process leads to strengthening personal norms to reduce own car use, which were associated with higher acceptability of car use reduction policies. The findings indicate that policies that aim at increased support for car use reduction in Russia could target biospheric values and activate personal norms.

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  • Ünal, Ayça Berfu & Steg, Linda & Granskaya, Juliana, 2019. "“To support or not to support, that is the question”. Testing the VBN theory in predicting support for car use reduction policies inRussia," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 73-81.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:119:y:2019:i:c:p:73-81
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2018.10.042
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Steg, Linda, 2005. "Car use: lust and must. Instrumental, symbolic and affective motives for car use," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 39(2-3), pages 147-162.
    2. Tertoolen, Gerard & van Kreveld, Dik & Verstraten, Ben, 1998. "Psychological resistance against attempts to reduce private car use," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 171-181, April.
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    6. Valentina Carfora & Giulia Buscicchio & Patrizia Catellani, 2021. "Integrating Personal and Pro-Environmental Motives to Explain Italian Women’s Purchase of Sustainable Clothing," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-22, September.
    7. Leibao Zhang & Liming Sheng & Wenyu Zhang & Shuai Zhang, 2020. "Do Personal Norms Predict Citizens’ Acceptance of Green Transport Policies in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-16, June.
    8. Wu Li & Shengchuan Zhao & Jingwen Ma & Wenwen Qin, 2021. "Investigating Regional and Generational Heterogeneity in Low-Carbon Travel Behavior Intention Based on a PLS-SEM Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-18, March.
    9. Romero, Fernando & Gomez, Juan & Paez, Antonio & Vassallo, José Manuel, 2020. "Toll roads vs. Public transportation: A study on the acceptance of congestion-calming measures in Madrid," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 319-342.
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