Date of Award

1-1-1999

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Master of Psychology

Faculty

Faculty of Community Services, Education and Social Sciences

First Supervisor

Dr Mark Groves

Second Supervisor

Dr Moira O'Connor

Abstract

The present study is based on an ecological analysis of transport and wellbeing as devised by Stokols and Novaco (1981). This study seeks to examine the link between transport mode and well-being. One hundred and eight Participants (N= 1 08) filled out a questionnaire that contained the psychological well-being scales of self-efficacy, general health and perceived stress; and the organizational scales of job satisfaction and absenteeism. The participants were divided into groups of 18 according to which transport mode they used. The transport mode groups were drive alone, train, bus, car pool, walk or cycle. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant difference in well-being between transport modes, that alternative modes of transport would score better than the drive alone category and that transport mode had an effect on psychological and organizational well-being. Findings supported that there was a difference in well-being between transport modes with the cycle and drive alone categories being significantly different to the bus, car pool and walk categories. Only the alternative mode of cycle performed better on the well-being scales than the drive alone category which did not support our second hypothesis. Transport mode did have an effect across both the psychological and organizational categories. Research and practical implications are discussed and directions for future research are highlighted.

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