Timothy Rabenberg
Psychology Research
Webster University
Young Adult Perceptions of Public Transport After Exposure to Mode-Specific Images
Abstract:
Prior work suggests that perceptions, rather than infrastructure alone, drive public transit ridership decisions. The "psychological rail factor" literature has argued that rail modes carry image advantages over buses, but findings have been mixed and have rarely distinguished between rail subtypes. Drawing on cognitive priming theory, the present study tested whether brief exposure to mode-specific transit imagery would elicit differential evaluations of public transportation among non-rider young adults, consistent with a general rail preference. In a cluster-randomized design, 22 classrooms at a St. Louis university (N = 227) were each assigned one of four six-minute silent videos (Bus, Subway, Tram, or Control) before completing a 44-item survey that referred generically to "public transportation." An exploratory factor analysis yielded five factors: Ride Intentions/Access, Cleanliness/Comfort/Safety, Environmental/Civic Benefits, Stigmatization, and Reliability/Convenience. Contrary to predictions, there were no significant differences between conditions on the Total Attitude Score or on four of the five factors. A single significant condition effect emerged on Factor 5 (Reliability/Convenience), F(3, 220) = 3.77, p = .011, η² = .049. However, the pattern did not conform to a rail-versus-bus dichotomy: subway imagery was associated with lower reliability ratings than both control and tram, where tram and control did not differ. Taken together, the results provide little support for a uniform psychological rail factor and raise the possibility that "rail" may be too coarse a psychological category, with tram and subway potentially activating distinct schemas.