Would you like to get on the bus? An eye-tracking study based on the stimulus-organism-response framework

Abstract

To encourage people to participate in bus travel, it is important to explore the factors that affect their willingness to ride. Previous studies have rarely considered both subjective and objective factors that affect passenger willingness. We designed a laboratory experiment based on the stimulus-organism-response framework using the waiting scene as the stimulus, perception of crowding (POC) and the emotion and eye-tracking indicators of waiting passengers as the organism, and willingness to ride as the behavioral response. A total of 64 participants were asked to look at 24 pictures of waiting scenes on an eye tracker and to complete a questionnaire. The results show that window permeability, number and distribution of passengers, and queuing mode significantly affect the POC, emotion, and gaze behavior of waiting passengers. The POC, emotion of waiting passengers, and their gaze at the waiting environment significantly affect the willingness to ride. Accordingly, we propose to promote the development of bus travel through measures such as providing more accurate travel information, installing queuing facilities, and modifying the bus card swiping machines. This study not only helps to improve the willingness of people to participate in bus travel, but also contributes to bus travel research and theory.