Rider-To-Rider Discriminatory Attitudes and Ridesharing Behavior

TitleRider-To-Rider Discriminatory Attitudes and Ridesharing Behavior
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2019
AuthorsJoanna Moody, Scott Middleton, Jinhua Zhao
JournalTransportation Research Part F
Abstract

Using online survey data from N = 2,041 Uber and Lyft users in the United States collected in 2016 and 2018, this paper establishes the validity, reliability, and invariance of a measure of rider-to-rider race and social class discrimination. This measure is then incorporated into three structural models that investigate associations between rider-to-rider discriminatory attitudes and four aspects of ridesharing behavior. We find that rider-to-rider discriminatory attitudes do not significantly predict whether a TNC user has used a ridesharing service (such as uberPOOL or Lyft Line). However, among those who have used ridesharing services before, rider-to-rider discriminatory attitudes are strongly negatively predictive of an individual's level of satisfaction with the sharing option, and marginally negatively predictive of an individual's percentage of shared TNC trips. Furthermore, among those who have not yet used ridesharing services, rider-to-rider discriminatory attitudes are strongly negatively predictive of willingness to consider using uberPOOL or Lyft Line in the future. These associations between rider-to-rider discriminatory attitudes and multiple aspects of ridesharing behavior suggest that such attitudes may persistently discourage sharing. In fact, we find no statistically significant difference in rider-to-rider discrimination or in its relations with ridesharing behavior across the two survey years. Further research is required to identify strategies for addressing discriminatory attitudes in the ridesharing context and overcoming reluctance to sharing.

DOI10.1016/j.trf.2019.01.003