An investigation into the role of information and communication technologies on travel behaviour of working adults and youth

Wu, Guoqiang (2018) An investigation into the role of information and communication technologies on travel behaviour of working adults and youth. PhD thesis, University of Glasgow.

Abstract

This thesis aims to investigate the diverse roles information and communications technologies (ICT) play in shaping individuals’ mobility behaviour. In doing so, three strands of interrelated research questions are empirically analysed to better understand the use of ICT and its implications for travel among both working adults and millennials. A cross-sectional analysis is firstly performed to examine the variations in the relationships between Internet use and non-mandatory travel patterns according to household working status. By employing data from the 2005/06 Scottish Household Survey (SHS) and the two-part model, the ICT-travel relationships are found to be characterised by individual employment status and intra-household interactions, which impose different constraints on individuals’ non-mandatory mobility patterns. A repeated cross-sectional analysis using the difference-in-differences (DD) estimation and the pooling of cross sections from the 2005/06 SHS data and the 2015 Integrated Multimedia City Data (iMCD) subsequently examines the evolutions in the ICT-travel relationships over time, and how temporal changes differ between the general adult population and the millennial generation. Findings suggest that the changes over time are generally characterised by diminishing complementarity and increasing substitution. Moreover, while the temporal changes for the general population are mostly found among the medium-to-heavy Internet users, for millennials, it is the light or medium-to-light users who see significant temporal changes. Finally, using the longitudinal datasets from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) and the Understanding Society Survey, an exploration is undertaken of the direct and indirect effects of prior experience with using ICT (as children) on millennials’ current travel behaviour. The structural equation model is applied to examine the relationships between ICT use, travel choices, and environmental attitude. The longitudinal analysis finds that millennials’ long-term exposure to ICT (since adolescence) may shape their current travel patterns by influencing their environmental attitudes. The findings from these analyses highlight the importance of considering the effects of personal, household, and social characteristics on the ICT-travel interactions. In addition, the research focuses on dynamic interactions and on the indirect or higher-order roles of ICT in affecting travel behaviour as well as on the implications for transport planning practices and policy making.

• Item Type: Thesis (PhD)
• Qualification Level: Doctoral
• Keywords: travel behaviour, information and communication technologies (ICT), working adults, millennials.
• Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > G Geography (General); H Social Sciences > HE Transportation and Communications
• Colleges/Schools: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
• Supervisor's Name: Thakuriah, Prof. Piyushimita (Vonu) and Hong, Dr. Jinhyun
• Date of Award: 2018
• Depositing User: Mr Guoqiang Wu
• Unique ID: glathesis:2018-8749
• Copyright: Copyright of this thesis is held by the author.
• Date Deposited: 09 Mar 2018 13:38
• Last Modified: 26 Mar 2018 08:27
• URI: https://theses.gla.ac.uk/id/eprint/8749