COMPARISON OF EFFECTIVENESS OF VARIOUS MEASURES OF SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IN MODELS OF TRANSPORTATION BEHAVIOR

Socioeconomic status is often theorized to be associated with variables measuring transportation behavior, and, income is the most frequently used measure of socioeconomic status in most transportation studies. However, sociologists have long hypothesized that other measures of socioeconomic status, e.g., education or occupation, are more appropriate describers of individuals or households in certain situations. The purpose of this paper is to decide on empirical grounds whether income is more appropriate than some of the other indicators of socioeconomic status in transportation modeling contexts. Data was from a stratified probability sample of 223 households in the Santa Monica-west Los Angeles, California, area. Income of the household, education of the respondent, and occupations of the household head and the respondent were the indicators of socioeconomic status. Classes of variables measuring transportation behavior (dependent variables) were trip frequencies and indicators of modal selection. Dependent variables were used in models that included the indicators of socioeconomic status as independent variables and in simple two-variable relationships involving these indicators. Regression analysis, correlation analysis, logic analysis, and simple tests of the significance of differences in means showed that at least one of the other indicators was more strongly associated with the dependent variables in almost all cases.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1975/534/534-001.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=COMPARISON+OF+EFFECTIVENESS+OF+VARIOUS+MEASURES+OF+SOCIOECONOMIC+STATUS+IN+MODELS+OF+TRANSPORTATION+BEHAVIOR&author=T.+Tardiff&publication_year=1975
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309023858
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Traveler Behavior and Values. 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
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Tardiff, Timothy J
• Conference:
  • 54th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia
  • Date: 1975-1-13 to 1975-1-17
• Publication Date: 1975

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 1-9
• Monograph Title: TRAVEL BEHAVIOR AND VALUES
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 534
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Education; Households; Income; Mathematical models; Mode choice; Occupations; Regression analysis; Socioeconomic factors; Transportation; Travel; Variables
• Uncontrolled Terms: Socioeconomic data; Transportation models; Trip
• Old TRIS Terms: Behavioral objectives; Modal selection
• Subject Areas: Economics; Operations and Traffic Management; Society; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00099669
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309023858
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 18 1975 12:00AM