AN ANALYSIS OF CONSUMER PREFERENCES TOWARD GOVERNMENTAL POLICIES DESIGNED TO REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN THE PRIVATE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR

Current energy shortages and price increases have brought the energy problem into sharp national focus. The private transportation sector of the U.S. economy accounts for about 14 percent of national energy consumption and about 30 percent of all petroleum used in this country. Reduced consumption in the area of private transportation, therefore, can lead to significant savings of petroleum and can be a major tool in helping to alleviate the energy crisis. In order to explore the preferences, perceptions, and expectations of citizens regarding possible solutions to the nation's energy crisis, it is first necessary to have an instrument that measures consumer attitudes toward the energy problem and a test that gauges consumer knowledge about energy-related issues.;In the second phase of the study, measures of public preferences toward four governmental policies designed to reduce the amount of energy consumed by the private transportation sector were obtained. These policies are (1) a gas-guzzler tax, (2) weekend closing of gasoline stations, (3) increasing gasoline prices, and (4) rationing the supply of gasoline. General demographics, attitudes toward the energy problem, and the apparent knowledge of respondents were used to study consumer preferences toward the alternative gasoline conservation policies. Of interest to public policy makers is that people in lower education and income groups view the oil companies cynically, are less informed about energy-related issues, and do not preceive technology as a vehicle for solving the energy problem. Also, a higher proportion of individuals in the high education and income categories prefer increased prices to supply restriction; the gas-guzzler tax is most supported by younger individuals and whites; and gasoline rationing is viewed to be less onerous than other policy options and is viewed similarly by all population segments except for heavy gasoline users.;Limitations and implications of the present study, as well as recommendations for further research in the area of energy conservation policies, are discussed.;The first phase of the study involves the psychometric development of a scale designed to measure consumer attitudes toward the energy problem. Scale construction includes the following steps: (1) generation of scale items; (2) assessment of dimensionality; (3) selection of items for the final scale; and (4) assessment of reliability and validity of the scale. Factor and item analysis assessed the multidimensionality of the scale. The factors obtained were: cynicism toward the oil companies, material growth, and belief in technology. The final scale of 18 items had an internal consistency of 0.74 as measured by coefficient alpha. The procedure for constructing the energy quiz is also reported.