A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Effectiveness of nudges for sustainable transportation: A systematic review




AuthorsMelin, Marianna; Makkonen, Anna; Yrjölä, Siiri; Peltomaa, Juha; Sandman, Nils; Tuominen, Jarno; Vuori, Kaisa; Tainio, Marko; Salo, Paula

PublisherElsevier

Publication year2025

JournalHeliyon

Article numbere43766

Volume11

Issue14

eISSN2405-8440

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e43766

Web address https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e43766

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/499648302


Abstract

Behavior changes in the transportation sector are crucial for mitigating climate change. However, previous studies have not specifically reviewed the literature on nudging from the perspective of enhancing sustainable transport. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review is to assess whether nudge interventions are effective in fostering a transition toward more sustainable transport behaviors. A systematic data search was conducted using the Web of Science, Academic Search Premier, SocINDEX, and PsycINFO. The inclusion of articles was restricted to peer-reviewed scientific articles published in English. The selected criteria were as follows: (i) nudge intervention targeting transport behavior with the aim of lowering transport emissions, (ii) sample measurements before and after the intervention where applicable or had a continuous behavioral measurement, and (iii) the change in behavior was measured. Seventeen articles comprising 23 studies met the inclusion criteria. Sample sizes varied between 8 and 54,889. Risk of bias was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI) critical appraisal tool. Relevant data from the studies were gathered into a working table that served as the basis for synthesizing the results. The nudge interventions varied considerably, and behavior was measured using different subjective and objective methods. Behavioral changes were observed in most studies (14/23). Thus, this review provides tentative evidence that nudge interventions can decrease car use and increase the use of sustainable travel modes and driving behaviors. No systematic patterns were found regarding the effectiveness of certain types of nudges or use of multiple nudges. One critical conclusion for future directions was the need of methodological and theoretical unification to gain a better understanding of the viability of nudges to alter transportation behavior.


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Funding information in the publication
The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Anna Makkonen, Juha Peltomaa, Nils Sandman, Jarno Tuominen, Kaisa Vuori, Marko Tainio, Paula Salo reports financial support was provided by Strategic Research Council. Marianna Melin reports financial support was provided by Finnish Cultural Foundation. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.


Last updated on 2025-02-09 at 11:22