BEHAVIORAL MEASUREMENT: AN APPROACH TO PREDICTING TRANSPORT DEMAND

The following points are made in this discussion; (1) Observed choice behavior is the product of the evaluation of the alternatives in terms of subjective needs, attitudes, and preferences; (2) This need and preference structure is an inherent characteristic of human behavior that is not determinate directly from observed behavior; (3) The nature of this structure may be inferred by direct measurement of attitudes and preferences toward qualitative or quantitative dimensions of the physical or social environment; (4) The measurement of attitudes and preferences requires a greater concern for measure theory simply because of the indirect relation between overt and covert behavior; (5) Within this context, a variety of techniques, both unidimensional and multidimensional, have been developed to provide reliable measures of attitudes and preferences; and (6) The caveat is that the objects used, real or symbolic, to evoke or tap the psychological domain in scale may have no direct relation to the domain. In summary, as far as transportation is concerned, trip generation, distribution, and mode split represent the output of a behavioral process. Because the elements making up this process are determinate and potentially measurable, they appear to offer a more valid approach to the prediction of travel demand and distribution than surrogate measures.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr149/sr149-009.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/0360859X
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Presented at a conference in South Berwick, Maine, July 8-13, 1973, sponsored by TRB, DOT and the Engineering Foundation.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Michaels, Richard M
• Publication Date: 1974

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: References;
• Pagination: pp 51-57
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Board Special Report
  • Issue Number: 149
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0360-859X

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attitudes; Behavior; Consumer behavior; Consumer preferences; Forecasting; Measurement; Modal split; Travel; Travel demand; Trip distribution; Trip generation
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00081600
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Apr 8 1975 12:00AM