What drives the gap? Applying the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition method to examine generational differences in transportation-related attitudes

Abstract

Considerable recent work suggests that Millennials' behaviors may be converging with those of Generation X as they enter later life stages, but few have investigated whether attitudes, which are often strong predictors of behavior, are undergoing the same convergence. In this study, we analyze the existing generational gap in four transportation-related attitudes (currently pro-urban, long-term pro-urban, pro-car ownership, and pro-environment), and examine the differential effects of other characteristics, including life-stage variables, on these attitudinal gaps. We apply the threefold Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method to a statewide (weighted) sample of 1029 Millennials and 946 Generation Xers from California to unravel these effects. The method distinguishes among: (1) effects due to the cohorts having different characteristics (endowments); (2) effects due to those characteristics having different influences on attitudes (coefficients); and (3) the interaction of those two effects. We observe that Millennials' attitudes: (1) differ from those of Generation X only by small, albeit statistically significant, amounts on average; and (2) are closer to those of Generation X as they gain on a host of life-stage variables such as marital status, income, and education. For example, if Millennials were married, employed, and earning higher incomes at the same rates as Generation X (but retaining their own model coefficients), the generational gap in the currently pro-urban attitude would be reduced by 24%. This study brings an econometric approach to the study of generational divides in transportationrelated attitudes, with findings suggesting that Millennials might be leaving part of their uniqueness behind as they enter later life stages.

Health, Employment, and Disability

“…, The interaction term, which explains how differences in the coefficients (i.e., how health affects disability) differ across the distribution of values for the endowments (i.e., health differences), is relatively small in magnitude, implying that it does not factor into our interpretation of the results. This small interaction term suggests that the magnitude of the endowment effect does not differ between groups, or equivalently the magnitude of the coefficient effect does not differ between groups (Etezady et al 2020).…”

The Method for Determining Time-Generation Range

“…At the same time, there are many works that study the value orientations of the already present generational cohorts in different countries. From this point of view, the most interesting works are by Noble and Schewe (2003), Hung et al (2007), Stewart et al (2017), Martínez-Buelvas and Jaramillo-Naranjo (2019), and Etezady et al (2020).…”

“…The indicators of differences between cohorts are directly analyzed based on the analysis of the respondents' consistency, correlation, and one-sided analysis of variance (ANOVA). Etezady et al (2020) explore the differences between generations in the United States by four indicators, using the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method. However, they also consider the predefined time ranges of generations.…”

Qualitative Study on Factors Influencing Aging Population’s Online Grocery Shopping and Mode Choice When Grocery Shopping in Person

“…More recent studies, however, suggest that mode choice in older adults is more diversified, and usually depends on travel purposes. Moreover, older adults show more openness toward shifting modes than seniors from previous generations (33,34). Specific factors that influence travel mode use and travel mode shift for food shopping purposes include loss of mobility, weather conditions, and the need to carry packages.…”

“…Motives for Walking or Cycling (n = 16). Active travel modes had been used once or more for grocery shopping by 50.8% of the sample participants over the previous month, whereas 34.4% reported that they really wanted to use this mode for each grocery trip (see Table 1). Walking or cycling to the grocery store was associated with many individual benefits such as feelings of satisfaction and autonomy, additional physical exercise gained from walking to stores and the pleasure of conducting a social activity outside the home.…”