Emerging econometric and data collection methods for capturing attitudinal and social factors in activity and travel behavior modeling

In recent years, a number of new econometric and data collection methods have been introduced that incorporate attitudinal and social effects in travel behavior models. The core of many of these methods address unobserved heterogeneity (factors affecting outcomes but unobserved by analysts). Many travel behavior and safety analysis studies have found unobserved heterogeneity to be statistically significant. However, interpretation of model results and forecasting are difficult because the source of the unobserved heterogeneity is unknown. For example, some argue, that unobserved heterogeneity is really capturing the effects of attitudes and other potentially measurable factors. The intent of this study is first to review the extant literature of unobserved heterogeneity and the econometric methods used to account for it. Then, explore the potential influence of attitudinal variables on unobserved heterogeneity with contemporary heterogeneity modeling approaches (e.g. heterogeneity in the means and variances of parameters). If attitudinal and social variables are responsible for much of the unobserved heterogeneity, then their inclusion could improve spatial and temporal transferability of models. This project will focus primarily on two such variables: social capital and polarization.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $154152
• 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

  Arizona State University
  Tempe, AZ  United States  85287
• Performing Organizations:

  University of South Florida, Tampa

  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  4202 E. Flowler Avenue, ENB 118
  Tampa, FL  United States  33620-5350
• Principal Investigators:

  Maness, Michael

• Start Date: 20181001
• Expected Completion Date: 20201001
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Activity choices; Attitudes; Data collection; Econometric models; Heterogeneity; Social factors; Travel behavior
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Planning and Forecasting; Society; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01754973
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Center for Teaching Old Models New Tricks
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747116
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Oct 20 2020 5:58PM