Project description
How emotions shape safe and sustainable micromobility
Electric scooters are zooming all around us. While the increased use of this climate-friendly mode of transport is positive, it is also associated with high accident rates, often linked to rider error and poor decision-making. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the AFFECTIVE SCOOT project explores how emotional states such as fear, anxiety, and confidence influence e-scooter riders’ behaviour. Using a mixed-methods design that combines real-world navigation experiments, eye-tracking, and behavioural interventions, the project will examine how emotional states shape perception. The aim is to improve safety. Overall, the project will propose practical recommendations to make sustainable micromobility safer and more widely adopted.
Objective
This project will pioneer the application of affective ecological psychology to study how emotional states dynamically shape the perception of action possibilities (affordances) when people use climate-friendly, e-scooter, transport. No existing research has systematically examined how affective states influence affordance perception in navigation, despite critical safety challenges: UK data shows e-scooter casualty rates are three times higher than cycling, with 22% of collisions being single-vehicle incidents caused by rider error. Rooted in Gibsonian ecological psychology and Withagen's affective framework, this research investigates how emotional factors - fear of potential accidents, confidence and anxiety levels - modulate riders' responsiveness to affordances. An innovative mixed-methods approach will include participant co-design of representative experimental protocols, followed by two studies: a comparative study examining perception-action dynamics between affect levels, and an intervention study testing equipment modifications. Real-world navigation tasks, eye-tracking technology, and targeted interventions will reveal how affective profiles influence obstacle navigation and decision-making. The findings will directly inform policy development for the UK Department of Transport and the EU 's Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy by providing evidence-based design principles that promote e-scooter usage as a viable and safer sustainable transport mode. Theoretically, this project extends the affordance-based control approach by incorporating the emotional dimensions of how individuals perceive and act upon affordances. This research transforms theoretical understanding while delivering practical solutions for accelerating Europe's climate-friendly transport transition.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
PO1 2EG PORTSMOUTH
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.