Is the intention to travel in a pro-environmental manner and the intention to use the car determined by different factors?

This study makes use of a sample of residents living in the central parts of Sweden to compare psychological predictors of the intention to use three travel modes: the car, the bus, and the bicycle. An expanded version of the theory of planned behaviour containing separate measures of social norms is employed. The results demonstrate that attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control explained between 38% and 48% of the variance in intention to use various travel modes. In all cases, perceived behavioural control is an important factor and by adding descriptive norm to the original predictors in the theory of planned behaviour, the explained variance, with regard to biking and using public transport, increased by between 5% and 6%.

Research highlights► The variables within the theory of planned behaviour predict modal choice. ► Different predictors determine car use intention versus bus and cycling intentions. ► Subjective and descriptive norms should be separated in relation to modal choice.