Why would people want to travel more with automated cars?

The use of automated vehicles (AVs) may enable drivers to focus on non-driving related activities while travelling and reduce the unwanted efforts of the driving task. This is expected to make using a car more attractive, or at least less unpleasant compared to manually driven vehicles. Consequently, the number and length of car trips may increase. The aim of this study was to identify the main contributors to travelling more by AV.We analysed the L3Pilot project’s pilot site questionnaire data from 359 respondents who had ridden in a conditionally automated car (SAE level 3) either as a driver or as a passenger. The questionnaire queried the respondents’ user experience with the automated driving function, current barriers of travelling by car, previous experience with advanced driving assistance systems, and general priorities in travelling. The answers to these questions were used to predict willingness to travel more or longer trips by AV, and to use AVs on currently undertaken trips. The most predictive subset of variables was identified using Bayesian cumulative ordinal regression with a shrinkage prior (regularised horseshoe).The current study found that conditionally automated cars have a substantial potential to increase travelling by car once they become available. Willingness to perform leisure activities during automated driving, experienced usefulness of the system, and unmet travel needs, which AVs could address by making travelling easier, were the main contributors to expecting to travel more by AV. For using AVs on current trips, leisure activities, trust in AVs, satisfaction with the system, and traffic jams as barriers to current car use were important contributors. In other words, perceived usefulness motivated travelling more by AV and using AVs on current trips, but also other factors were important for using them on current trips. This suggests that one way to limit the growth of traffic with private AVs could be to address currently unmet travel needs with alternative, more sustainable travel modes.     

Group cycling safety behaviours: A systematic review

BackgroundThe popularity of cycling in a group is longstanding and increasing. Compared to riding as an individual, many cyclists feel safer when riding in a group as they have better personal security, potential support in case of mishaps, safer wayfinding and are more visible to other road users. However, further to the safety challenges shared with individual cyclists, group cyclist safety is impacted by rider proximity, the larger space taken up on roadways, potentially higher speeds, and social norms that could increase risky behaviours. Despite these unique safety considerations, the practice of cycling in groups has received little academic attention and group cyclist safety behaviours have not been analysed by road safety researchers.ObjectiveTo identify, describe, categorise and conceptualise within a teamwork framework, safety related behaviours of groups of cyclists as mentioned in academic literature.MethodsThree academic databases (Google Scholar, Proquest, and Scopus) were searched for peer reviewed literature that mentioned safe or risky behaviours of groups of cyclists. A total of 32 papers met the inclusion criteria. Relevant group cyclist behaviours were described and categorised using a conceptual teamwork framework.ResultsGroup cyclists’ safety behaviours are governed by a comprehensive but informal and adaptable set of rules. These rules are safety critical and are often strictly controlled within groups. Many groups of cyclists may ride in a safer manner than individual cyclists due to teamwork factors, particularly shared mental models, team orientation, and adaptability.ConclusionGroup cyclists take safety seriously. Teamwork factors may make behavioural interventions to decrease risky behaviours easier to implement with group cyclists compared to individual cyclists. Investigation of group cycling safety behaviours may inform safe system interventions to increase road safety.     

Multimodal travel behaviour,attitudes, and cognitive dissonance

Multimodal travel behaviour, also termed multimodality, refers to as the phenomenon of an individual using more than one mode of transport in a given period. Studies indicate that encouraging multimodality may provide a solution to induce modal shifts towards sustainable transport. In this research, we investigate the distribution of mode-specific attitudes and attitude-mode use incompatibilities across clusters and levels of multimodality using the Netherlands Mobility Panel. We find that the most positive attitude does not necessarily correspond to the mode with the highest level of use. Attitudes towards car use are most positive, independent of the cluster membership and levels of multimodality. We also find that multimodal public transport users (compared with car-dominant users) and those with a higher level of multimodality are more likely to be attitudinally incompatible with frequently-used modes and the composition of their existing mode sets of travelling. This suggests that multimodal individuals may tend to experience cognitive dissonance with their mode use. Our findings also help uncover the psychological mechanism underlying a recent important finding that multimodal individuals are inclined to change their mode use patterns over time.     

Motor competence predicts self-esteem during childhood in typical development children

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to study the relationship between motor competence (MC) and self-esteem in children between 7 and 13 years of age.MethodsThis is five years mixed longitudinal study, although only the last two years were included in the analysis. Participants were N = 144 of both sexes (69 girls) divided in 6 cohorts. At baseline the youngest and the oldest cohorts had 4 and 9 years of age respectively. MC was assessed with KTK. Self-esteem and self-worth were assessed with the Portuguese version of Physical Self-Perception Profile for Children and Youth (PSPP-CY). Cross-lagged models were used to find out whether MC predicts self-esteem and self-worth, or the reverse. Linear mixed models were applied.ResultsOverall, only self-esteem was predicted by MC across age. Results show that self-esteem had a significant decrease between 7 and 13 years of age (−0.56) and that MC is positively associated with self-esteem (b = 0.006).ConclusionsMC had a mitigating effect on the decrease of self-esteem. Promoting MC during childhood and adolescence might have a positive effect on children's well-being and mental health and prevent them to dropout from physical activities.     

An International Perspective on the Adaptation of CBT Across Cultures

The cutting edge of psychotherapy research today is primarily cross‐cultural and includes two main areas of work. The first area consists of helping/healing approaches that originate within specific cultures, for example, Naikon therapy in Japan, ho'oponopono among Native Hawaiians, curanderismo among Latino people, and many of the specific practices within the world's major religions (e.g., meditation, prayer, recognising blessings, practising compassion, and helping others). The second area involves exploring whether, and if so how, the evidence‐based practices (EBPs) are relevant to the needs of cultures that were not originally in the minds of the EBPs developers. The preceding study by Bennett‐Levy and colleagues is an excellent example of the kind of research needed in this second area: participatory action research that intentionally seeks the expertise of within‐culture members, ideally the counsellors and researchers themselves. The authors ask exactly the kinds of questions that will move the entire psychotherapy field forward towards applications that are helpful to a much wider range of people.     

Personal and social factors that influence pro‐environmental concern and behaviour: A review

We review the personal and social influences on pro‐environmental concern and behaviour, with an emphasis on recent research. The number of these influences suggests that understanding pro‐environmental concern and behaviour is far more complex than previously thought. The influences are grouped into 18 personal and social factors. The personal factors include childhood experience, knowledge and education, personality and self‐construal, sense of control, values, political and world views, goals, felt responsibility, cognitive biases, place attachment, age, gender and chosen activities. The social factors include religion, urban–rural differences, norms, social class, proximity to problematic environmental sites and cultural and ethnic variations We also recognize that pro‐environmental behaviour often is undertaken based on none of the above influences, but because individuals have non‐environmental goals such as to save money or to improve their health. Finally, environmental outcomes that are a result of these influences undoubtedly are determined by combinations of the 18 categories. Therefore, a primary goal of researchers now should be to learn more about how these many influences moderate and mediate one another to determine pro‐environmental behaviour.     

Narcissism and Empathy in Young Offenders and Non‐offenders

Understanding the individual factors that predispose persons to criminal behaviour is vital to reducing offending and rehabilitating those who have been sentenced to prison. This study examined the roles of narcissism (at both clinical and subclinical trait levels) and empathy, by comparing levels in young adult males currently serving a prison sentence to those with no history of criminal convictions. Prison participants had significantly higher levels of narcissism—in particular entitlement—than control participants, and this link was sequentially mediated by lower perspective‐taking and subsequently lack of empathic concern. Trait narcissism showed stronger effects than narcissistic personality disorder symptoms. Narcissistic young men's feelings of entitlement and ensuing lack of empathy for others may account for their greater likelihood of criminal behaviour. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Testing mediator variables in a physical activity intervention for women with type 2 diabetes

ObjectivesA limited understanding of the mechanisms of behavior change has hindered the development of more effective interventions. The aim of this study was to identify potential mediators of objectively measured physical activity (PA) behavior change in women with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).DesignMediation test of a randomized controlled trial.MethodWomen with T2DM (n = 93) from the control group (standard PA materials, n = 44) and the full intervention group (control + stage-matched printed material and telephone counseling, n = 49) of a larger PA intervention trial were included. PA outcomes were minutes of MET weighted moderate and vigorous PA/week (self-report) and steps/3-days (objective) recorded at baseline and 12-months. Social-cognitive constructs were measured and tested in a mediating variable framework.ResultsPerceived behavioral control and barrier self-efficacy mediated intervention effects on objective PA (proportion of intervention effect mediated = 18% and 24% respectively). Intention was a mediator of objective PA (23%).ConclusionPerceived behavior control, barrier self-efficacy, and intention are effective mechanisms of PA behavior change in women with T2DM.     

Intrinsic goals for leisure-time physical activity predict children's daily step counts through autonomous motivation

ObjectivesThe present study tested a motivational sequence in which children's goals for leisure-time sport and physical activity (PA) from Goal Content Theory predicted pedometer-determined PA through behavioural regulation constructs from Self-Determination Theory.DesignQuantitative cross-sectional study.MethodsA sample of 1272 Flemish (Dutch speaking part of Belgium) sixth graders (M age = 11.42 years) filled in a questionnaire on PA goal content, behavioural regulations and pubertal status. Children's height and weight were measured to assess Body Mass Index (BMI). To measure daily PA behaviour, participants wore a pedometer for seven consecutive days. Structural equation modelling was performed to test the proposed motivational sequence and to examine the mediation effect of behavioural regulations towards leisure-time sport and PA on the relation between PA goal content and daily step counts.ResultsA structural equation model supported the hypothesized sequence in which intrinsic goals for leisure-time sport and PA predicted children's daily step counts through autonomous motivation towards leisure-time sport and PA. Multi-sample invariance testing revealed that the proposed model was largely invariant across BMI groups, pubertal status and gender.ConclusionsThe findings highlight the importance of emphasizing intrinsic goals for participation in leisure-time sport and PA in children aged 10–12 years. By stimulating children to participate in PA and sports by referring to intrinsic goals, children are more likely to enjoy PA, which in turn might increase the likelihood of a regular and long-term PA engagement.