Use of Galvanic Skin Response in a stated preference survey to assess factors influencing college student use of transit

Abstract

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted all forms of travel. Transit ridership decreased drastically and has rebounded slowly compared to highway travel in the United States. This research explored a unique method to gain insight into the reasons behind the slow return to transit. Students were surveyed regarding their use of transit before, during, and after the pandemic. The study was conducted in a lab with a Galvanic Skin Response device, a computer with a webcam, and software to measure both recorded and self-reported stress levels in students as they answered questions regarding their transit use, stress levels, and fear of COVID-19. The Fear of COVID-19 and Perceived Stress Scale showed a significant influence on the change in transit use for a small proportion of students. The proposed methodology showed that these psychological scales and collecting GSR data may be valuable in predicting a traveler’s return to transit.