Measuring sensation seeking in urban cyclists: Development and validation of the SSC scale

IF 3.5 2区工程技术 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, APPLIED

Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour Pub Date : 2025-02-27 DOI:10.1016/j.trf.2025.02.022

Sergio A. Useche

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Thanks to various decades of accumulated empirical research, sensation seeking (SS) has gained prominence as an emerging issue of interest in road safety research. Previous studies have emphasized its potential to contribute to risky behavior among various road users, including cyclists. However, there has been a notable gap in the literature: the absence of an instrument designed to measure sensation-seeking factors while considering the particular conditions and behavioral repertoire of cyclists.

Objective

This paper aims to describe the development and psychometric assessment of the Sensation Seeking in Cycling (SSC) scale.

Method

This study analyzed data from 5108 cyclists, aged 16 to 64 (μ = 32.3), who completed an electronic questionnaire on individual and cycling-related factors. Data were analyzed through competitive confirmatory analyses (via Structural Equation Modeling), psychometrically evaluating the structure of the SSC under two different dimensional assumptions.

Results

Data analyses have shown that the Sensation Seeking in Cycling scale has a suitable set of psychometric features, in addition to a satisfactory internal consistency and reliability. Further, the SSC scores have coherent and significant relationships to literature-supported factors, thus providing good insights on the concurrent validity of the questionnaire regardless of cyclists’ sex or age. In addition, descriptive country-based comparisons suggest significant differences in in the SSC scores.

Conclusion

The outcomes of this validation study suggest that the SSC is a valid tool for measuring sensation-seeking factors in the specific setting of urban cycling in the two factorial compositions tested in this paper. Also, it is emphasized the importance of understanding cyclists’ psychosocial factors to enhance safety and promote sustainable urban bicycle riding.

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来源期刊

Transportation Research Part F-Traffic Psychology and Behaviour Multiple-

CiteScore

7.60

自引率

14.60%

发文量

239

审稿时长

71 days

期刊介绍： Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour focuses on the behavioural and psychological aspects of traffic and transport. The aim of the journal is to enhance theory development, improve the quality of empirical studies and to stimulate the application of research findings in practice. TRF provides a focus and a means of communication for the considerable amount of research activities that are now being carried out in this field. The journal provides a forum for transportation researchers, psychologists, ergonomists, engineers and policy-makers with an interest in traffic and transport psychology.