COMMUTING BY CAR OR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - A SOCIAL DILEMMA ANALYSISOF TRAVEL MODE JUDGMENTS

The current paper analyses judgements regarding the decision to commut e by car versus public transportation in terms of a conflict between i mmediate self-interest and long-term collective interest (i.e. social dilemma). Extending traditional formulations of rational choice theory , the present study revealed that preferences for public transportatio n (i.e. the presumed cooperative option) in a standard commuting situa tion were enhanced not only by the belief that public transportation p rovided a shorter average travel rime than car (i.e. the presumed nonc ooperative option), but also by the belief that public transportation was at least as reliable (i.e. an equal or lower variability in travel time compared to car). Moreover, paralleling prior research on experi mental social dilemmas, preferences were found to be affected by a pro -social concern - the belief regarding the impact of cars on the level of environmental pollution. Our findings indicated that any combinati on of two such considerations (i.e. travel time, variability, and impa ct of cars on pollution) was more effective in promoting public transp ortation preferences than the sum of their separate effects. Finally, we obtained evidence that commuter preferences were also shaped by ind ividual differences in social value orientations (i.e. preferences for patterns of outcomes for self and others) in that, relative to pro-se lf commuters, pro-social commuters exhibited greater preference for pu blic transportation.