An experimental study on policy makers’ communication about a congestion charge, individual value preferences, perceptions of arguments and acceptability

• An important part of the implementation of controversial policy measures such as congestion charging is the communication between policy makers and the public. This is a web-based experimental study aiming at studying acceptability of a suggested congestion charge and different types of arguments. The arguments were either framed as environmental, stressing gains such as sustainability both locally and globally, or economic arguments stressing gains such as reduced travel times, improved health and the use of revenues for investing in roads etc. The aim was further to investigate the relationships between biospheric and egoistic value preferences and the assessments of the arguments quality. The final sample consisted of 503 participants divided into three experimental conditions (economic arguments, environmental arguments and combined) and one control group. A generally low acceptability of the suggested charge was found, but it was significantly higher in all the experimental conditions. The egoistic arguments yielded the highest mean acceptability, and 28 percent of the respondents supported a charge being implemented in their city compared to 14 percent in the control group. Biospheric values were related to a more positive evaluation of the arguments in the environmental argument condition and more negative when judging the economic arguments.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Statsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Political Science (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

acceptability

transport policy

communication

experiment

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)