Pettifor, H, Wilson, C, Axsen, J et al. (2 more authors) (2017) Social influence in the global diffusion of alternative fuel vehicles – A meta-analysis. Journal of Transport Geography, 62. pp. 247-261. ISSN 0966-6923
Abstract
Alternative fuel vehicle technologies are needed to mitigate rising greenhouse gas emissions from transport. Social influence is integral to the diffusion of private vehicles which are highly visible and fulfill practical as well as social functions. This paper provides the first meta-analysis of empirical studies which measure the strength of social influence on consumer vehicle choice. A systematic literature review identified 21 studies that examined three types of social influence: interpersonal communication; neighbourhood effect; and conformity with social norms. A random effects meta-analysis found a significant and small to moderate effect of social influence on vehicle choices (r = 0.241, p < 0.001). The overall effect size did not vary significantly between types of social influence nor between types of vehicle (conventional or alternative fuel). However, further analysis using meta-regression found that heterogeneity in social influence effect size across studies was explained by differences in countries' cultural receptiveness to normative influence. These findings have important implications for policy and modelling analysis of alternative fuel vehicle adoption, for which diffusion is both a socially and culturally-mediated process.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | (c) 2017, Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This is an author produced version of a paper published in the Journal of Transport Geography. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Vehicle choice; Social influence; Meta-analysis; AFVs |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > Institute for Transport Studies (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 06 Jul 2017 10:20 |
Last Modified: | 01 Jan 2019 01:38 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2017.06.009 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:118716 |