Graduate Exit Seminar - Jessica NeJame

Plan to join Jessica NeJame's graduate exit seminar on April 9, 2024, at 10:00 am in Kottman Hall 333c or via Zoom. Jessica will present, "The Roles of Gender and Children in Electric Vehicle Purchasing Intent."

Abstract: Electrifying the U.S. vehicle fleet is a key strategy to reduce the magnitude of greenhouse gas emissions released in the U.S. and reduce environmental damage; however, electric vehicle (EV) adoption remains low, particularly among women. This research explores why women, traditionally strong adopters of pro-environmental behaviors, are buying fewer EVs than men. Three pre-registered studies explore the impacts of gender and the presence of children on EV purchasing intention. Study 1 shows that relative to men, women have lower EV purchasing intention. Women evaluated EVs as being less safe and having less instrumental and affective value, and these factors mediated the relationship between gender and purchasing intention. These perceptions may relate in part to concern about one’s children, which may be more salient for women; this was explored in Study 2, which showed that men and women do not differ in their willingness to purchase an EV as a family vehicle relative to a personal vehicle, though overall, women are less willing to purchase an EV relative to men. Study 3 investigated how willingness to recommend an EV varied depending on gender and presence of children and found that women (but not men) participants were less willing to recommend an EV for a woman with children relative to a man with children. Theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.

Advisor: Dr. Nicole Sintov