Behavioral Antecedents of Fuel Efficiency
Abstract
The US Department of Defense is the largest institutional petroleum consumer in the world. In addition to the financial cost of petroleum-based fuels, the US DoD generates more CO2-equivalent greenhouse gases than the entirety of modern, industrialized nations like Sweden and Norway. Other dangers and externalities arise from the fuels supply chain, like toxin risks to fuel handlers, and human costs to transport fuel in-theater. Within the DoD, the USAF alone often rivals or exceeds the consumption of all other services combined. While the USAF prefers technical, hardware-based solutions to problems, and has given increasing attention to logistical solutions like route planning and aircraft mix optimization, very little research both in and out of the military looks into the impact of human decision making on fuel consumption. Industrial/organizational psychology, or IO Psych, is a growing field in the civilian world. This project applies IO psychometric measurements to investigate the variability within fuel consumption stemming from the choices that human operators make. Three studies are presented, revolving around this common theme. This study begins from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), a behavioral science model emphasizing the kind of deliberate, informed decision making expected of our target population of USAF cargo airlift pilots. A meta-analysis of 40 independent, peer-reviewed studies indicates the TPB model strongly predicts fuel-efficient behavior. A study adapting Maj. Cotton's 2016 AFIT Master's Degree research to civilian drivers supports the meta-analytical findings. Finally, the survey instrument was applied to a population of 62 active duty, reserve, and Guard cargo airlift pilots flying the C-130, C-17, and C-5 platforms. The pilots' responses were compared against a measure of fuel consumption corrected for change to cargo weight. The results of this study indicate something quite different than either of the two previous studies.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 09, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1110824
Entities
People
- James A. Iii Cotton
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology