Title: Motonormativity: how social norms hide a major public health hazard

Authors: Ian Walker; Alan Tapp; Adrian Davis

Addresses: School of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK ' Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK ' Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, Bristol, BS16 1QY, UK; Transport Research Institute, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, UK

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.

Keywords: transport; sustainability; active travel; physical activity; public health; unconscious bias; prejudice; decision-making; cultural influences.

DOI: 10.1504/IJENVH.2023.135446

International Journal of Environment and Health, 2023 Vol.11 No.1, pp.21 - 33

Received: 19 May 2022
Accepted: 07 Dec 2022
Published online: 13 Dec 2023 *

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