The effect of safety attire on perceptions of cyclist dehumanisation

[Stevek76]

Another interesting one about the psychology of attire. Sample is biased to existing cyclists and usual caveats.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 7823001018

[Mick F]

I've only scan-read the article.

On Sunday Mrs Mick F and me and the doggie walked to the Royal Inn at Horsebridge. We arrive soon after 12:30 and a had a couple of drinks before waling back home. The place had some cyclists arriving. Some were on their way to JOG and some to LE. We chatted of course!

There were some without helmets, and some with helmets. It was nice to see the riders without helmets!
Men and women.

Helmet-less (like me when I ride a bike) are seen as more human IMHO and IME.

[axel_knutt]

On the same general subject:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDjWryXdVd0&t=474s

Brain scans show empathy in people when they see another person being hurt, unless the victim is a member of an out-group, in which case their brain scans show the same characteristics as those of a psychopath.

[bikes4two]

Helmet-less (like me when I ride a bike) are seen as more human IMHO and IME.

+1 for that.

After a period of illness off the bike and then returning to cycling on an ebike (kit conversion), I now usually ride in just ordinary clothing (except mitts and discreet eye protection) and whilst it's entirely subjective I feel more at ease on the road in respect of car users.

When I see roadies flashing by, now they all look the same to me hidden behind their dark glasses, helmeted head down and not a smile from these lycra clad 'humans'.

That research came as not surprise all.

[axel_knutt]

After a period of illness off the bike and then returning to cycling on an ebike (kit conversion), I now usually ride in just ordinary clothing (except mitts and discreet eye protection) and whilst it's entirely subjective I feel more at ease on the road in respect of car users.

When I rode in lycra I got acknowledged by other cyclists wearing lycra, and when in mufti I got acknowledged by cyclists in mufti.

[Audax67]

I reckon it just makes it easier to point a finger at a particular group of people and whine.

Never heard anyone bellyaching about cyclists here or stigmatizing Lycra etc.

[Sparky56]

Interesting piece of research - done in a laboratory testing reactions to pictures.

Real life relevance and application needs to be determined.

The limitations of the study are clearly written in the article so authors can't be faulted

[Pete Owens]

The real life evidence of the deleterious effect that wearing helmets causes in driver behaviour was measured back in 2006:
http://www.drianwalker.com/overtaking/o ... obrief.pdf

[mjr]

On a similar theme, from Melbourne, AU:

Mandatory helmet legislation contributes to feelings of judgement and victim blaming experienced by bike riders.

Interviewees felt that bicycle helmets dehumanise bike riders which could lead to further violence against them.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 0523001457

[Mike Sales]

When people want to attack cyclists it is not long before the word 'lycra' is used.

[axel_knutt]

The real life evidence of the deleterious effect that wearing helmets causes in driver behaviour was measured back in 2006:
http://www.drianwalker.com/overtaking/o ... obrief.pdf

There's a widely cited paper by Jake Olivier rubbishing that, this is Walker's answer to it.

[plancashire]

Another interesting one about the psychology of attire. Sample is biased to existing cyclists and usual caveats.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 7823001018

The respondents are not a representative sample of the Australian population due to the sample size and the respondent’s characteristics (Table 2). Compared to the Australian population, the survey respondents were more likely to be male, earn higher incomes, be employed full time, be middle aged, and more highly educated. The survey respondents were also far more likely to be regular cyclists with 72 % of our respondents riding at least weekly compared to only 12 % of the Australian population. We theorise this is due to cyclists being more likely to self-select for a survey about cycling attire.

The sample was self-selected and no attempt was made to stratify and correct to match the population; the sample size was anyway too small to do this. I doubt any conclusions that apply to the population as a whole could be drawn from this study.

[deeferdonk]

Helmet-less (like me when I ride a bike) are seen as more human IMHO and IME.

People that are similar to you will seem more relatable, and probably be more likely to speak to you.

I wear a helmet but, i don't wear a nappy and clippy-cloppy shoes like many cyclists, sometimes i find myself being judgemental about people with "all the gear", a bit of a reverse snob (as can be told from my language here!) . But i have been at the side of the road fixing a technical issue, and these folks are just as likely to stop and offer assistance. Also mostly just as likely to acknowledge a nod or a wave when passing on a country lane.

I think its important that we acknowledge our prejudices and that people are just as human as us, even if different (or even rude).

I found it interesting that the percentage of people in that survey who see cyclists as less than human, is almost identical to the percentage of people in recent surveys in the UK that would vote for a certain well funded political party that apparently has "legitimate concerns about immigration". Maybe there is a connection to people who dehumanise people that are different.

[Jdsk]

Post of the Week. Thankyou.

I'm staggered by the amount of othering in this forum, way above that in any other that I frequent.

Jonathan

[cycle tramp]

Post of the Week. Thankyou.

I'm staggered by the amount of othering in this forum, way above that in any other that I frequent.

Jonathan

'Othering..?' What's 'othering?'... or don't I want to know?
'M'lud the defendant stands accused of Othering. Once on a Sunday, once in full sight of a choir of nuns, twice in the park, and once in a dark alley with Ms Rebecca Mcnusty... formly of 'Mcnusty's relaxing therapies for stressed management of the male variety'.

And is being 'staggered' worse than 'flabbergasted', or 'stunned'... and if you were born without a flabber to ghast, is it now insensitive to mention your flabber and whether it was ghasted or otherwise?
Word on the street was that Ms Mcnusty could flabber a man's ghast in under 7 minutes.