University of Twente Student Theses
Commuter stress at a dynamic bus station
Broeks, M.C. (2014) Commuter stress at a dynamic bus station.
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| Abstract: | Dynamic bus stations have been around for some time, but thus far no research has been done on how commuters experience a dynamic bus station. The uncertainty aspect of a dynamic bus station was expected to be the biggest downside for commuters (Turksma, 2000). Commuting stress is affected, among other factors, by predictability (Evans, Wener, & Phillips, 2002). The present study investigated whether dynamic vehicle allocation system of a dynamic bus station is experienced as more stressful by altering preferred platform allocation. This was tested by exposing 18 commuters to a change of the dynamic vehicle allocation system. Questionnaires were used to determine whether they experience stress and if the situation was experienced as less predictable. A control group of 17 people was used to reduce noise in the data. The results did not show an increase in stress or predictability between groups. This implies that a change in preferred platform is not experienced as less predictable or stressful. This might be explained by the fact that variance is already present in public transport (Bonsall, 2004), the uncertainty of a dynamic bus station can be experienced as yet another variation of public transport. Commuters develop routines, based on experience, to cope with these uncertainties. The effects of a change in preferred platform on commuter stress was not supported by strong evidence due to the low power of the experiment. Suggestions are made for follow-up research, as this subject requires more research to enhance user comfort at a dynamic bus station. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/67088 |
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