Exploring the time-saving bias: How drivers misestimate time saved when increasing speed

Eyal Peer*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

According to the time-saving bias, drivers underestimate the time saved when increasing from a low speed and overestimate the time saved when increasing from a relatively high speed. Previous research used a specific type of task - drivers were asked to estimate time saved when increasing speed and to give a numeric response - to show this. The present research conducted two studies with multiple questions to show that the time-saving bias occurs in other tasks. Study 1 found that drivers committed the time-saving bias when asked to estimate (a) the time saved when increasing speed or (b) the distance that can be completed at a given time when increasing speed or (c) the speed required to complete a given distance in decreasing times. Study 2 showed no major differences in estimations of time saved compared to estimations of the remaining journey time and also between responses given on a numeric scale versus a visual analog scale. Study 3 tested two possible explanations for the time-saving bias: A Proportion heuristic and a Differences heuristic. Some evidence was found for use of the latter.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)477-488
Number of pages12
JournalJudgment and Decision Making
Volume5
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2010

Keywords

  • Driving behavior
  • Speed estimation
  • Time estimation
  • Time-saving bias

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