Travel behavior before and after COVID-19. A hybrid choice model applied to a panel dataset

After two decades of psychological research into travel behavior, one would anticipate a thorough understanding of the cognitive processes guiding travel choices. However, the intricate and unpredictable nature of mobility dynamics often obstructs efforts to promote sustainable travel behaviors. Whi...

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Main Authors: Eleonora Sottile, Giovanni Tuveri, Francesco Piras, Italo Meloni
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-11-01
Series:Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198224002513
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author Eleonora Sottile
Giovanni Tuveri
Francesco Piras
Italo Meloni
author_facet Eleonora Sottile
Giovanni Tuveri
Francesco Piras
Italo Meloni
author_sort Eleonora Sottile
collection DOAJ
description After two decades of psychological research into travel behavior, one would anticipate a thorough understanding of the cognitive processes guiding travel choices. However, the intricate and unpredictable nature of mobility dynamics often obstructs efforts to promote sustainable travel behaviors. While hybrid choice models (HCMs) incorporating latent variables prove invaluable in analyzing travel behavior, there remains a critical need for further exploration into effectively managing these variables. Typically assessed at singular time points, these variables pose challenges in analyzing individual characteristics based on their fluctuations. Moreover, deriving actionable policy implications from HCMs is challenging due to the inherent nature of psycho-attitudinal variables, which exhibit limited responsiveness to alterations in alternatives. Only a significant disruptive event could induce notable shifts in individuals’ psycho-attitudinal characteristics. The objective of this paper is to investigate two aspects: i) to study if and how norms, intentions and perceived behavioral control change after a strong shock such as the pandemic, and ii) to analyze the differences in the HCMs results estimated by using data collected before and after the shock. The study involves a panel dataset gathered during a VTBC Program which involved three phases, two of which before and straight after the first lockdown. Our results show that norms were less impacted by COVID-19 and lost importance post-lockdown. There was a notable decline in the intention to use sustainable modes and an increase in car usage, with significant differences in perceived behavioral control between those who maintain and those who change their transport modes.
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spelling doaj-art-bd2e89ca2d274f11b28b7316c4c2ca492024-12-18T08:51:55ZengElsevierTransportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives2590-19822024-11-0128101265Travel behavior before and after COVID-19. A hybrid choice model applied to a panel datasetEleonora Sottile0Giovanni Tuveri1Francesco Piras2Italo Meloni3Corresponding author.; University of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, Cagliari 09124, ItalyUniversity of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, Cagliari 09124, ItalyUniversity of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, Cagliari 09124, ItalyUniversity of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, Cagliari 09124, ItalyAfter two decades of psychological research into travel behavior, one would anticipate a thorough understanding of the cognitive processes guiding travel choices. However, the intricate and unpredictable nature of mobility dynamics often obstructs efforts to promote sustainable travel behaviors. While hybrid choice models (HCMs) incorporating latent variables prove invaluable in analyzing travel behavior, there remains a critical need for further exploration into effectively managing these variables. Typically assessed at singular time points, these variables pose challenges in analyzing individual characteristics based on their fluctuations. Moreover, deriving actionable policy implications from HCMs is challenging due to the inherent nature of psycho-attitudinal variables, which exhibit limited responsiveness to alterations in alternatives. Only a significant disruptive event could induce notable shifts in individuals’ psycho-attitudinal characteristics. The objective of this paper is to investigate two aspects: i) to study if and how norms, intentions and perceived behavioral control change after a strong shock such as the pandemic, and ii) to analyze the differences in the HCMs results estimated by using data collected before and after the shock. The study involves a panel dataset gathered during a VTBC Program which involved three phases, two of which before and straight after the first lockdown. Our results show that norms were less impacted by COVID-19 and lost importance post-lockdown. There was a notable decline in the intention to use sustainable modes and an increase in car usage, with significant differences in perceived behavioral control between those who maintain and those who change their transport modes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198224002513Psycho-attitudinalPanel dataHybrid choice modelCOVID-19Travel behavior
spellingShingle Eleonora Sottile
Giovanni Tuveri
Francesco Piras
Italo Meloni
Travel behavior before and after COVID-19. A hybrid choice model applied to a panel dataset
Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Psycho-attitudinal
Panel data
Hybrid choice model
COVID-19
Travel behavior
title Travel behavior before and after COVID-19. A hybrid choice model applied to a panel dataset
title_full Travel behavior before and after COVID-19. A hybrid choice model applied to a panel dataset
title_fullStr Travel behavior before and after COVID-19. A hybrid choice model applied to a panel dataset
title_full_unstemmed Travel behavior before and after COVID-19. A hybrid choice model applied to a panel dataset
title_short Travel behavior before and after COVID-19. A hybrid choice model applied to a panel dataset
title_sort travel behavior before and after covid 19 a hybrid choice model applied to a panel dataset
topic Psycho-attitudinal
Panel data
Hybrid choice model
COVID-19
Travel behavior
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590198224002513
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AT giovannituveri travelbehaviorbeforeandaftercovid19ahybridchoicemodelappliedtoapaneldataset
AT francescopiras travelbehaviorbeforeandaftercovid19ahybridchoicemodelappliedtoapaneldataset
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