Journal article 678 views
Motonormativity: how social norms hide a major public health hazard
International Journal of Environment and Health, Volume: 11, Issue: 1, Pages: 21 - 33
Swansea University Author:
Ian Walker
DOI (Published version): 10.1504/ijenvh.2023.135446
Abstract
Decisions about motor transport, by individuals and policy-makers, show unconscious biases due to cultural assumptions about the role of private cars – a phenomenon we term motonormativity. To explore this claim, a national sample of 2157 UK adults rated, at random, a set of statements about driving...
Published in: | International Journal of Environment and Health |
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ISSN: | 1743-4955 1743-4963 |
Published: |
Inderscience Publishers
2023
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Online Access: |
Check full text
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URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa65167 |
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Abstract: |
Decisions about motor transport, by individuals and policy-makers, show unconscious biases due to cultural assumptions about the role of private cars – a phenomenon we term motonormativity. To explore this claim, a national sample of 2157 UK adults rated, at random, a set of statements about driving (“People shouldn’t drive in highly populated areas where other people have to breathe in the car fumes”) or a parallel set of statements with keywords changed to shift context (“People shouldn’t smoke in highly populated areas where other people have to breathe in the cigarette fumes”). Such context changes could radically alter responses (75% agreed with “People shouldn’t smoke...” but only 17% agreed with “People shouldn’t drive...”). We discuss how these biases systematically distort medical and policy decisions and give recommendations for how public policy and health professionals might begin to recognise and address these unconscious biases in their work. |
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Item Description: |
Preprint available before peer review via https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/egnmj |
Keywords: |
Transport, sustainability, active travel, physical activity, public health, unconscious bias, prejudice, decision-making, cultural influences |
College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
Issue: |
1 |
Start Page: |
21 |
End Page: |
33 |