Summer 2013 Behaviour Change Pilot Projects

In the summer of 2013 we undertook two behaviour change pilot projects. The first occurred in two apartment towers housing graduate students with families. The second took place in conjunction with CultureLink settlement services. While similar in design, the projects had differing methods of communication and participant selection. The pilot projects employed several psychological tools to leverage the social environment and thereby affect norms, and increase the initiation and maintenance of cycling for transportation. These included: the use of the foot in the door technique through two commitments, the first being minimal and the second being large; the public display of these commitments to support the shift in social norms and leverage individual participants behaviour to increase participation and adherence of the group; the use of weekly prompts about accessible events and supports for new cyclists; and the use of priming that occurred close in proximity and time to the execution of the behaviour. Participant attitudes towards cycling, their perceptions of peer-group attitudes and their cycling behaviour were measured prior to and upon completion of the program.
We are currently consolidating data and analyzing results. 

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