Information on the aim and purpose of the test:
This question is intended to identify barriers that make cycling difficult or impossible for respondents and to determine factors that should be given special consideration in interventions. Items 1–3 are designed to assess general attitudes toward cycling. Unlike the previous questions, these items should be answered in general terms—that is, regardless of mobility behavior over the past four weeks.
During the testing phase, it was important to determine whether the overarching question, the items, and the response options were understood. Particular focus was placed on whether respondents were answering the items in reference to the past four weeks or in general. The study examined whether test participants found it difficult to choose an answer and, if so, why they selected “I don’t know.” Furthermore, the study examined whether thematically related items, such as statements 7 and 8, were perceived as redundant. Finally, the study assessed whether the large number of items caused fatigue among the test persons.
Findings:
All participants answered all the statements in Question 5. None of the participants limited their answers to experiences from the past four weeks. This was particularly evident in Item 16, which concerned weather conditions. Here, the participants mentioned adverse weather conditions that occur during various seasons, such as rain and heavy rain, thunderstorms, heat, cold, snow, and slippery ice.
Do the test persons respond to the statements related to the overall question?
Especially with the later statements, the test persons tended to answer the statements on their own terms—that is, not in relation to whether a particular aspect prevents them from riding a bike. There are various possible reasons for this. For one thing, the large number of items could cause participants to lose sight of the original question. For another, the connection to the overarching question could be weakened by the fact that the first three statements do not refer to it. Third, some statements are easy to understand even without reference to the overarching question.
In the case of statement 18, regarding shower facilities at destinations, this led to three instances where test persons who did not need shower facilities—and should therefore have answered “Does not apply”—instead selected “I don’t know.” Test person 10 explained that while she regularly rides her bike for shopping and leisure activities, her commute to work is too long for that. Although there are shower facilities at her workplace, she does not need them. Since the statement therefore did not apply to her in her view, she ultimately selected “I don’t know” (“It’s hard to answer that again. Well, there are facilities at work. I’ll go with ‘I don’t know’ for this question,” TP10). Another test person even explicitly stated that the availability of shower facilities was not a criterion for her, yet still selected “I don’t know.”
“At one of my destinations—work—I actually have a shower. But I would never take a shower there. At the other one, I don’t have one. That’s not the reason [why I don’t ride a bike]. The fact that I could change clothes there isn’t a deciding factor for me. But I definitely don’t ride my bike to work. If I were to ride to work, that would probably be a factor. But I don’t ride to work.” (TP11, response to statement 18: I don’t know)
The problem of statements not being answered in relation to the overall question was particularly pronounced in the case of one test person, who reacted with confusion to the final statement—“There are other reasons that bother me”—and asked what the statement was referring to.
TP03: “That’s really thrown me off—are there other reasons that bother me? Sure, there are lots of things—lots of little things—that bother me, but it’s just a very everyday thing that the train is late […]”
INT: “What I mean is, are there any other reasons why you wouldn’t ride your bike for your daily trips?”
TP03: “Ah, it’s right there in bold at the top: ‘travel by bike.’ But with all these questions and all these thoughts, you end up getting totally sidetracked. I think that’s why I didn’t think about biking anymore during the last few questions.”
But in other cases as well, the lack of a clear link between the items and the overarching question led test persons to select an answer option that was not appropriate for them. Test person 05, for example, responded to the statement “I don’t own a (good) bicycle” by explaining that she couldn’t judge whether her bicycle was good; to do so, she would have to take it to a repair shop. However, the reason she didn’t use the bicycle was not because it was unusable or only partially usable, but rather because of the nature of her routes and her habits.
Do the test persons show signs of having difficulty answering the items?
Five participants answered the last item, “There are other reasons that bother me,” with “I don’t know.” In some cases, the participants were unsure whether this statement still related to the overarching question. Other participants, however, chose “I don’t know” to indicate that they could not think of any other reasons.
§ “I’ve been thinking for a while about what those other reasons might be, and nothing specific has come to mind. But it’s not as if I can say there’s nothing else that bothers me.” (TP02)
§ “I’m not sure what ‘other’ means here. Are those the reasons already mentioned above, or are there additional reasons?” (TP04)
§ “Are there reasons that bother me? I’m not sure. What exactly are you referring to?” (TP06)
§ “Not that I know of.” (TP09)
How do the test persons perceive the response categories?
One participant did not read the response options correctly and initially filled out the statements as if the answers were “Agree,” “Somewhat agree,” and “Disagree” (TP04). She noticed her mistake after completing the last item, when she wanted to check whether she had selected an answer for all statements ( “Ah, now I see that I was in the wrong column! I assumed the neutral option was in the middle. I was too quick,” TP04). When she noticed the mistake, she simply swapped the middle and right columns. In doing so, she replaced all the answers she had supposedly marked as “Somewhat true, somewhat false” with “I don’t know.”
In total, six of the twelve participants stated that they would have liked a more precise scale, at least for some of the statements in Question 5. In particular, for questions 1 through 3, it became apparent that people who either enjoy using a bicycle and another mode of transportation equally, or who prefer one or the other depending on the situation, had difficulty selecting an answer and therefore chose “I don’t know” for at least one of the three statements (TP02, 03, 07, 09, 11).
One participant explained that, for the statements that included the word “often” (e.g., items 9 and 10, “My routes are often too long or hilly,” and item 12, “I often have to carry too much luggage or other people”), she would have liked to distinguish whether this applied often or occasionally (TP02).
In some cases where test persons wished for a more nuanced distinction, the actual problem seemed to stem less from a lack of response options and more from the fact that the test persons did not relate the statement to the question of whether this issue prevented them from cycling (more frequently). For example, several test participants explained that, regarding statement 16 on weather conditions, they would have liked to be able to specify a degree of frequency because, naturally, they do not enjoy cycling as much in bad weather as they do in good weather (TP02, 09). As a result, for example, TP06—who cycles all her routes in all seasons—also responded that weather conditions bother her, even though they do not deter her from cycling.
Although the desire for a more nuanced response scale suggests difficulties in answering some statements in their current form, the solution may lie more in strengthening the connection to the overarching question than in expanding the response categories (see Conclusion and Recommendations).
How do the participants justify their answers to items 1–3 regarding their general transportation preferences?
Although all participants were able to explain without difficulty when they preferred which modes of transportation, only five of the twelve participants were able to respond to the first three statements without hesitation with “Agree” or “Disagree” (TP01, 04, 05, 06, 08). Of these, two participants preferred the bicycle in all cases (TP06, 08), and the other three preferred the other modes of transportation in all cases (TP01, 04, 05). In addition, these participants also had a correct understanding of the word “generally” and indicated which mode of transportation they preferred for routes that could be traveled using both of the mentioned modes.
§ “I don’t really like riding a bike. So I prefer to walk, then take public transportation—that way I don’t have to look for a parking spot—and then I’d take the car. To me, a bike is always such an unnecessary burden.” (TP01)
§ “As a general rule, I prefer to drive or take public transportation for both short and long trips rather than ride a bike. For short trips, I also prefer to walk rather than ride a bike. The word ‘generally’ implies that there might be a trip where I’d prefer to ride a bike. But generally speaking, that’s just how it is.” (TP04)
§ “[Cars and bicycles] can, of course, be equally convenient from time to time, but [riding a bike] also saves a lot of money. I’d rather do without a car—I can get everything done by bike.” (TP08)
The other participants had less clear-cut preferences for or against the bicycle and encountered one of two problems. The first problem was that they did not generally prefer one of the two modes of transportation in any of the statements, but rather, if at all, only in specific situations.
“Whether I generally prefer walking to biking depends a lot on the distance. If it’s a 5-minute walk to the nearest supermarket or something like that, then I’d rather walk […] If the trip takes longer than 15 minutes, then I’d be more likely to hop on my bike, simply because it saves a lot of time […] If I want to go out and get some exercise, I’d always rather go for a walk than ride a bike. But when it comes to getting to work or going shopping, as mentioned here, I’d decide based on the distance.” (TP02, response to statement 3: I don’t know)
One test person faced the dilemma that she did not use either mode of transportation and could not relate to the question. In her case, “I don’t know” was therefore possibly the correct answer.
“I ride a bike just as rarely as I drive a car. That’s why I said ‘I don’t know.’ I just prefer riding my e-scooter because it’s the only thing I can drive myself—the only way I can get from A to B on my own […] I have just as little connection to cars as I do to bikes.” (TP03, response to statement 1: I don’t know)
The second problem was that some participants did not know which response option to choose when, although they generally preferred one mode of transportation, it was not the ideal option for their daily commutes due to practical considerations in their situation. For example, one participant explained that, in principle, they preferred to use public transportation rather than a bicycle, but that there was hardly any public transportation available where they currently lived in a rural area.
“Well, I’d really prefer to take public transportation […] But it just depends on the circumstances; it’s not a simple yes or no. In the city, I like to take the tram or the bus. I don’t take the subway as often, but I use it when it’s available. It just has to be there.” (TP09, Response to Statement 2: I don’t know)
Following the same logic, test persons answered “I don’t know” in two other cases because they were unable to ride a bicycle due to acute knee pain.
§ “Hmm, yeah, that’s a tough one to answer. Right now, [because of my health situation], I obviously prefer driving to riding a bike.” (TP09, response to statement 1: I don’t know)
§ “That’s not quite right; I enjoy doing both. But right now, I naturally prefer walking to biking.” (TP07, response to statement 3: I don’t know)
Do the test persons find items 7 and 8 redundant?
Statement 7 concerns whether the participants consider bike paths safe enough to ride a bike, and the eighth statement concerns whether fear of accidents prevents them from riding a bike. When asked, all participants except one (TP05) stated that these were different aspects for them. Statement 7 was mostly related to the infrastructure and quality of the bike paths. Statement 8, on the other hand, was more strongly associated with the behavior of other road users and with riding in traffic. Four participants gave different answers to Statements 7 and 8, with three of them stating that their bike paths were safe enough but that they were still afraid of accidents (TP08, 09, 12). One participant felt the opposite: they believed that the bike paths should be safer but did not feel any fear (TP01). For all participants, the explanations provided for Statements 7 and 8 were consistent with their answers.
§ “Those are two different things. While the routes aren’t safe enough, that doesn’t mean I’m afraid something will happen to me.” (TP01, response to statement 7: Agree, response to statement 8: Does not apply)
§ “The seventh point concerns whether bike paths are safe enough, and that is clearly not the case. Many bike paths aren’t properly constructed, are too close to car traffic, or make it easy to get into conflicts with drivers. Or, to put it another way, they’re built in such a way that pedestrians can easily walk into them […] The other statement—whether I’m concerned—relates to that, but also to other road users, especially drivers. Sure, I’m sometimes afraid of accidents—for example, I might be riding down a hill at 50 km/h and then my front tire bursts and I go down. But I’m more afraid of drivers.” (TP06: Response to Statement 7: Applies, Response to Statement 8: Applies)
“Of course, there are routes that are unsafe, but you might be able to avoid them by taking a different route. But no matter which route you take, you’re never completely safe from accidents, because drivers might fail to yield the right of way or fail to see you. You have to expect others to make mistakes.” (TP08, Response to Statement 7: Does not apply, Response to Statement 8: Applies)
Other unusual aspects
One test person related some of the items in Question 5 to her e-scooter rather than her bicycle (TP03). Test person 06 again thought exclusively of her standard bicycle for the first 12 items and did not consider her cargo bike until after statement 12. As a result, she agreed with the statement that she often has to carry too much luggage or other people, but meant that she often has to carry too much luggage for her standard bicycle and therefore switches to her cargo bike.
Question 5 was programmed as a matrix question, with all 19 items on a single page. This caused two problems. First, the overarching question was no longer visible; second, the labels for the response options were no longer visible while respondents were filling out the lower items.
We recommend displaying the items in this question in an item-by-item design. This increases attention to the individual items and the response options. In this design, the “I don’t know” response option can, for example, be visually distinguished from the other response options by using italics. Furthermore, the items should be worded in such a way that the connection to the overarching question is maintained throughout.
Statement 9: “My daily commutes are too long to cover by bike.” (instead of: “My commutes are often too long.”)
Statement 10: “My daily commutes are too hilly to cover by bike.” (instead of: “My commutes are often too hilly.”)
Statement 11: “I would ride my bike (more often), but I don’t want to arrive at my destination sweaty.” or “For me, it’s a drawback that you arrive at your destination sweaty when riding a bike.” (instead of: “I don’t want to arrive at my destination sweaty.”)
Statement 16: “Bad weather conditions (e.g., rain, heat, cold) keep me from riding my bike (more often).” (instead of: “There are weather conditions that bother me.”)
Statement 17: “I would ride my bike (more often) if there were secure bike parking facilities.” (instead of: “There is a lack of secure bike parking facilities at my destinations.”)
Statement 19: “There are other reasons that prevent me from riding my bike (more often)” (instead of: “There are other reasons that bother me.”)
Items 1–3 should not be included in Question 5. For one thing, strictly speaking, they do not represent reasons that prevent people from cycling, but rather assess general mode of transportation preferences. Second, some respondents found it difficult to answer the question in principle, that is, independently of their specific daily routes, the modes of transportation available to them, or any health impairments—given the current question structure. Finally, the response options should allow respondents to indicate when they prefer two modes of transportation equally.
Item 1:
Now, please think of a route that you could travel by both car and bicycle.
In general: How would you prefer to travel a distance like this?
Ο I’d rather drive
Ο I’d rather ride a bike
Ο I like driving and biking equally
Ο I don‘t know
Item 2:
Now, please think of a route that you could travel by both public transportation and bicycle.
In general: How would you prefer to travel a distance like this?
Ο I prefer public transportation
Ο I prefer biking
Ο I like both public transportation and biking equally
Ο I don’t know
Item 3:
Now, please think of a route that you could travel both on foot and by bicycle.
In general: How would you prefer to travel a distance like this?
Ο I’d rather walk
Ο I’d rather ride a bike
Ο I like walking and biking equally
Ο I don’t know
General Probing, Specific Probing, Category-Selection Probing, Emergent Probing
| Itemtext | Aktiv getestet |
|---|---|
|
Ja |
|
Ja |
|
Ja |
|
4. My health does not allow me to ride a bike. |
Nein |
|
5. I cannot ride a bike (well). |
Nein |
|
6. I do not own a (good) bike. |
Nein |
|
Ja |
|
Ja |
|
Ja |
|
Ja |
11. I don’t want to arrive at my destination looking sweaty.Itemtext:
11. I don’t want to arrive at my destination looking sweaty.
Empfehlungen:We recommend displaying the items in this question in an item-by-item design. This increases attention to the individual items and the response options. In this design, the “I don’t know” response option can, for example, be visually distinguished from the other response options by using italics. Furthermore, the items should be worded in such a way that the connection to the overarching question is maintained throughout. Statement 11: “I would ride my bike (more often), but I don’t want to arrive at my destination sweaty.” or “For me, it’s a drawback that you arrive at your destination sweaty when riding a bike.” (instead of: “I don’t want to arrive at my destination sweaty.”) Befund zum Item:-
Thema der Frage:
Umwelt/ Umweltverhalten
Konstrukt:General reasons preventing people from riding bicycles
|
Ja |
|
12. I often have to take a lot of luggage or other people with me. |
Nein |
|
13. I’m not fit enough. |
Nein |
|
14. I can’t wear the clothes I like or need to wear while biking. |
Nein |
|
15. My family members don’t support me in riding a bike |
Nein |
|
Ja |
|
Ja |
|
Ja |
19. There are other reasons that bother me.Itemtext:
19. There are other reasons that bother me.
Empfehlungen:We recommend displaying the items in this question in an item-by-item design. This increases attention to the individual items and the response options. In this design, the “I don’t know” response option can, for example, be visually distinguished from the other response options by using italics. Furthermore, the items should be worded in such a way that the connection to the overarching question is maintained throughout. Statement 19: “There are other reasons that prevent me from riding my bike (more often)” (instead of: “There are other reasons that bother me.”) Befund zum Item:Do the test persons show signs of having difficulty answering the items? Five participants answered the last item, “There are other reasons that bother me,” with “I don’t know.” In some cases, the participants were unsure whether this statement still related to the overarching question. Other participants, however, chose “I don’t know” to indicate that they could not think of any other reasons. § “I’ve been thinking for a while about what those other reasons might be, and nothing specific has come to mind. But it’s not as if I can say there’s nothing else that bothers me.” (TP02) § “I’m not sure what ‘other’ means here. Are those the reasons already mentioned above, or are there additional reasons?” (TP04) § “Are there reasons that bother me? I’m not sure. What exactly are you referring to?” (TP06) § “Not that I know of.” (TP09) Thema der Frage:
Umwelt/ Umweltverhalten
Konstrukt:General reasons preventing people from riding bicycles
|
Ja |
