Dynamics in Face-to-Face Social Interaction Frequency: Role of Accessibility, Urbanization, Changes in Geographical Distance, and Path Dependency

Commonly, frequency of social interaction is modelled as a function of an ego’s socio-demographic characteristics and dyad characteristics of ego and alters. This study is based on the contention that proximity to alters and accessibility to services and degree of urbanization moderate this relationship. In addition, marking the contribution of this study to the literature, social interaction frequencies are dynamic and change over time. Therefore, face-to-face interaction frequencies are subjected to the history of interaction and distance between actors. By taking history into account, important research questions can be addressed, For instance, how often would the ego meet the alter who was living nearby but moved to a more distant location? Or, would the frequency of meeting increase if an alter now lives nearby, but was previously located far away? This study investigates these issues. It draws from the concepts of path dependency and accessibility and shows that history and accessibility indicators can explain part of the frequency of face-to-face interactions. Life-cycle events were taken as triggers of these changes. Retrospective survey data is used for the analyses. Face-to-face social interaction frequency between egos and their alters was recorded before and after the life-cycle event. A stepwise ordered logit model estimation reveals that social travel frequency can be better predicted when geographical indicators and path dependency are included in the model specification.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADB10 Traveler Behavior and Values.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Sharmeen, Fariya
  • Arentze, Theo
  • Timmermans, Harry
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Date: 2014-1-12 to 2014-1-16
• Date: 2014

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 17p
• Monograph Title: TRB 93rd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accessibility; Life cycle analysis; Logits; Surveys; Urbanization
• Uncontrolled Terms: Face to face communication; Social interaction
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Society; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01515004
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 14-1790
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 21 2014 3:16PM