Social Context of Activity Scheduling

Abstract

Activity-based approaches to travel demand modeling are increasingly moving from theoretical to operational models. Agent-based microsimulation models are a promising approach as they explicitly conceive travel as an emergent phenomenon from people's activity characteristics and, more explicitly, from their activity-scheduling processes. Activity-scheduling processes are influenced by individuals’ characteristics as well as by the people with whom they interact. Thus, the activity-scheduling process has an intrinsic social context. With social activities used as a case study, the objective of this paper is to investigate empirically the relationship between social context (measured by with whom respondents interacted) and two key aspects of activity scheduling: start time and duration. Econometric models of the combined decisions of with whom to participate and when to start or how much time to spend are estimated to investigate the correlations between “with whom” and start time and duration decisions. Data collected by a 7-day activity diary survey were used for model development. Findings suggest that social context has a relevant role in activity-scheduling processes. For example, with whom people socialize influences social activity-scheduling processes more than do travel time or distances to social travel. In addition to theoretical understanding of the questions investigated here, the models serve as an empirical support for agent-based microsimulation models that could incorporate the role of social networks in activity-scheduling attributes.

Probit-Based Discrete-Continuous Choice Model to Explore the Relationship Between Car Ownership and Commuters’ Non-Work Activity Durations in Xiaoshan District of Hangzhou, China

“…The discrete-continuous choice model has been widely used in marketing and economics, especially in energy economics, land economics, and transport economics ( 30 , 33–37 ). Many transport decisions involve both discrete and continuous components, for example, household vehicle type and usage ( 38 – 41 ), travel mode/route and departure time ( 42 – 44 ), activity participation and time allocation for activities ( 25 , 45 , 46 ). All of the above examples involve discrete and continuous choices that are interrelated, as the outcome of one clearly affects the other ( 30 ).…”

A mixed-equilibrium model of individual and household activity–travel choices in multimodal transportation networks

“…The process used for making decisions on joint activity-travel choices differs from that used for making decisions on solo activity-travel choices. Joint activity-travel choices require spatiotemporal coordination of the activity-travel schedules of the involved individuals (Zhang et al (2005); Habib et al (2008)). As a result, any change in the daily activity-travel schedule of an individual under a transportation policy can change the daily activity-travel schedules of his/her partners.…”

“…In these microsimulation models, the activity-travel choices of individuals have been generated using various approaches, such as computational processes, production rules, and/or utility maximization, to manage the complexity of time-space constraints in intra-household interactions. The activity-travel scheduling processes in these models have typically been based on the concept of skeleton schedules with given and fixed attributes, such as activity start time, duration, destination, and location (Habib et al (2008)). As a result, the linkages in these models between different choice dimensions in households' activitytravel schedules are weak.…”

Time Use, Disability, and Mobility of Older Americans

“…In addition to vehicle ownership, these activities are likely to depend on household makeup and sociodemographic variables (16)(17)(18)(19)(20). Further, much recent research has shown that social network variables can also influence social activities (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35), including frequency, schedule, distance traveled, destination choice, and duration decisions.…”