The Stability of Transport-Related Attitudes Over Time: A Case Study During COVID-19

The usefulness of attitudes in travel demand forecasting requires predictability. Since travel demand models aim to simulate future populations, research would be impracticable if the characteristics of the populations were subject to substantial unpredictable variation over time. The study team investigates the stability of individuals’ attitudes using waves of the COVID Future survey answered 3.5–9.5 months apart. Both individual attitudinal statements and factor-analyzed attitudes demonstrate moderate stability. This stability is mostly consistent across different sub-populations, although certain groups such as young people displayed lower levels of stability than the general population. Attitudes about home environment and lifestyle were particularly stable, while those about pandemic-specific topics such as remote work or disease risk were more unstable. The study team concludes that attitudes generally display stability, although the presence of significant life disruptions likely produces temporary instability. The team also demonstrate that the stability of attitudes can have an effect on the stability of intended future actions.

• Record URL:
  https://tomnet-utc.engineering.asu.edu/projects/stability-of-transport-related-attitudes/

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $60500
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3551747116

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Center for Teaching Old Models New Tricks (TOMNET)

  Arizona State University
  Tempe, AZ  United States  85287
• Project Managers:

  Pendyala, Ram

• Performing Organizations:

  Arizona State University, Tempe

  Tempe, AZ  United States 
• Principal Investigators:

  Salon, Deborah

• Start Date: 20200801
• Expected Completion Date: 20210731
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; COVID-19; Longitudinal studies; Travel demand
• Subject Areas: Planning and Forecasting; Security and Emergencies; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01868140
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Teaching Old Models New Tricks (TOMNET)
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747116
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Dec 21 2022 11:01AM