Psychological and experiential contributors to experienced cyclists? on-road cycling behaviour: A path analysis study

Cyclists' behaviour may be characterised as both positive and negative, although research has typically focused on the latter - notably, behaviours such as crashes, collisions, and errors. Cyclist distraction is often implicated in these negative behaviours. However, there is a dearth of research on the psychological correlates of errant cycling behaviours and distraction. We distributed an online survey that included a combination of established and novel measures to 191 experienced cyclists (155 M, 36 F; aged 18-80 yrs, Mage = 57.03 yrs) to ascertain their self-reported cycling behaviour and experience, their attentional style, their cycling self-efficacy and their negative experiences whilst cycling. We conducted path analysis to explore relationships between these variables - specifically, to determine whether self-reported cycling behaviour and negative experiences would be predicted by attentional style, cycling self-efficacy, and cycling experience. Of the statistically significant relationships, Internal Distraction Control negatively predicted cyclists' self-reported errors (b =-0.235) and violations (b =-0.195). The cyclists' years of urban cycling positively predicted their errors (b = 0.068), violations (b = 0.046) and negative experiences (b = 0.05) when cycling. Cycling self-efficacy positively predicted violations (b = 0.003) and negatively predicted positive behaviours (b =-0.002). These results suggest that a combination of psychological and experiential factors explain some of the variance in self-reported cycling behaviours - particularly negative ones. Road user entropy in UK towns and cities is set to increase as micromobility usage increases. Formal assessment of cyclists' capa-bilities, particularly their ability to deal with distractions, may be crucial to mitigate the consequences.