IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v11y2019i24p7122-d297113.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Car Use: Intentional, Habitual, or Both? Insights from Anscombe and the Mobility Biography Literature

Author

Listed:
  • Edmond Daramy-Williams

    (Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK)

  • Jillian Anable

    (Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK)

  • Susan Grant-Muller

    (Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK)

Abstract

Policy-makers have recognized that changing travel behavior is important. People, however, do not change their behavior so readily, particularly the use of the car. A central concept that has been invoked to account for this has been the concept of habit. However, various studies also present people as having concrete reasons for driving: Their choices are intentional. This interdisciplinary study attempts to reconcile these two understandings of travel behavior by drawing on insights from the philosopher Anscombe and a growing body of travel research termed the mobility biography literature. It applies some of Anscombe’s insights from Intention to the act of driving. With regard to the mobility biography literature, it draws out conceptual implications both from theoretical and empirical aspects: In particular, the characterization of travel decisions as nested in a hierarchy of life decisions and the association of life events with changes in travel decisions. It concludes that a broader conceptualization of human behavior leads to a broader view as to what policy-makers can do. It reminds us that transport is ‘special’, that transport and policy are inextricable, and that the importance of infrastructure provision should not be ignored.

Suggested Citation

  • Edmond Daramy-Williams & Jillian Anable & Susan Grant-Muller, 2019. "Car Use: Intentional, Habitual, or Both? Insights from Anscombe and the Mobility Biography Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:24:p:7122-:d:297113
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/24/7122/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/24/7122/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Müggenburg, Hannah & Busch-Geertsema, Annika & Lanzendorf, Martin, 2015. "Mobility biographies: A review of achievements and challenges of the mobility biographies approach and a framework for further research," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 151-163.
    2. Bamberg, Sebastian & Fujii, Satoshi & Friman, Margareta & Gärling, Tommy, 2011. "Behaviour theory and soft transport policy measures," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 228-235, January.
    3. Jörgen Garvill & Agneta Marell & Annika Nordlund, 2003. "Effects of increased awareness on choice of travel mode," Transportation, Springer, vol. 30(1), pages 63-79, February.
    4. Anable, Jillian & Brand, Christian & Tran, Martino & Eyre, Nick, 2012. "Modelling transport energy demand: A socio-technical approach," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 125-138.
    5. Huutoniemi, Katri & Klein, Julie Thompson & Bruun, Henrik & Hukkinen, Janne, 2010. "Analyzing interdisciplinarity: Typology and indicators," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 79-88, February.
    6. Mokhtarian, Patricia L. & Salomon, Ilan, 2001. "How derived is the demand for travel? Some conceptual and measurement considerations," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 695-719, September.
    7. Kay Axhausen & Andrea Zimmermann & Stefan Schönfelder & Guido Rindsfüser & Thomas Haupt, 2002. "Observing the rhythms of daily life: A six-week travel diary," Transportation, Springer, vol. 29(2), pages 95-124, May.
    8. I Salomon & M Ben-Akiva, 1983. "The Use of the Life-Style Concept in Travel Demand Models," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 15(5), pages 623-638, May.
    9. Sattlegger, Lukas & Rau, Henrike, 2016. "Carlessness in a car‐centric world: A reconstructive approach to qualitative mobility biographies research," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 22-31.
    10. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    11. Cass Sunstein, 2014. "Nudging: A Very Short Guide," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 37(4), pages 583-588, December.
    12. Ben Clark & Kiron Chatterjee & Steve Melia, 2016. "Changes in level of household car ownership: the role of life events and spatial context," Transportation, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 565-599, July.
    13. Schwanen, Tim & Banister, David & Anable, Jillian, 2012. "Rethinking habits and their role in behaviour change: the case of low-carbon mobility," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 522-532.
    14. Zhang, Junyi & Timmermans, Harry J. P. & Borgers, Aloys, 2005. "A model of household task allocation and time use," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 81-95, January.
    15. Fred Mannering & Clifford Winston, 1985. "A Dynamic Empirical Analysis of Household Vehicle Ownership and Utilization," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 16(2), pages 215-236, Summer.
    16. Elizabeth Shove, 2010. "Beyond the ABC: Climate Change Policy and Theories of Social Change," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 42(6), pages 1273-1285, June.
    17. Kenneth Train, 1985. "Qualitative Choice Analysis: Theory, Econometrics, and an Application to Automobile Demand," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262200554, April.
    18. Tommy Gärling & Kay Axhausen, 2003. "Introduction: Habitual travel choice," Transportation, Springer, vol. 30(1), pages 1-11, February.
    19. Timmermans, Harry J.P. & Zhang, Junyi, 2009. "Modeling household activity travel behavior: Examples of state of the art modeling approaches and research agenda," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 187-190, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Jorge Ubirajara Pedreira Junior & Antônio Nélson Rodrigues da Silva & Cira Souza Pitombo, 2022. "Car-Free Day on a University Campus: Determinants of Participation and Potential Impacts on Sustainable Travel Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-20, March.
    2. Philippe Gerber & Sébastien Lord & Kevin Manaugh & Veronique Van Acker & Samuel Carpentier-Postel, 2021. "Sustainability Issues of Micro and Macro-Scale Changes in Daily and Residential Mobility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-6, April.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Schwanen, Tim & Banister, David & Anable, Jillian, 2012. "Rethinking habits and their role in behaviour change: the case of low-carbon mobility," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 522-532.
    2. Cristina Pronello & Jean-Baptiste Gaborieau, 2018. "Engaging in Pro-Environment Travel Behaviour Research from a Psycho-Social Perspective: A Review of Behavioural Variables and Theories," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-22, July.
    3. Rico Krueger & Akshay Vij & Taha H. Rashidi, 2018. "Normative beliefs and modality styles: a latent class and latent variable model of travel behaviour," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(3), pages 789-825, May.
    4. Doody, Brendan J., 2020. "Becoming ‘a Londoner’: Migrants’ experiences and habits of everyday (im)mobilities over the life course," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    5. Scheiner, Joachim, 2020. "Changes in travel mode use over the life course with partner interactions in couple households," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 791-807.
    6. Jessica Berg & Malin Henriksson & Jonas Ihlström, 2019. "Comfort First! Vehicle-Sharing Systems in Urban Residential Areas: The Importance for Everyday Mobility and Reduction of Car Use among Pilot Users," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-16, April.
    7. Cass, Noel & Faulconbridge, James, 2016. "Commuting practices: New insights into modal shift from theories of social practice," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 1-14.
    8. Guan, Xiaodong & Wang, Donggen, 2019. "Influences of the built environment on travel: A household-based perspective," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 710-724.
    9. Spears, Steven & Houston, Douglas & Boarnet, Marlon G., 2013. "Illuminating the unseen in transit use: A framework for examining the effect of attitudes and perceptions on travel behavior," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 40-53.
    10. Busch-Geertsema, Annika & Lanzendorf, Martin, 2017. "From university to work life – Jumping behind the wheel? Explaining mode change of students making the transition to professional life," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 181-196.
    11. Dharmowijoyo, Dimas B.E. & Susilo, Yusak O. & Karlström, Anders & Adiredja, Lili Somantri, 2015. "Collecting a multi-dimensional three-weeks household time-use and activity diary in the Bandung Metropolitan Area, Indonesia," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 231-246.
    12. De Vos, Jonas & Witlox, Frank, 2017. "Travel satisfaction revisited. On the pivotal role of travel satisfaction in conceptualising a travel behaviour process," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 364-373.
    13. Müggenburg, Hannah & Busch-Geertsema, Annika & Lanzendorf, Martin, 2015. "Mobility biographies: A review of achievements and challenges of the mobility biographies approach and a framework for further research," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 151-163.
    14. Etminani-Ghasrodashti, Roya & Ardeshiri, Mahyar, 2015. "Modeling travel behavior by the structural relationships between lifestyle, built environment and non-working trips," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 506-518.
    15. Laura McCarthy & Alexa Delbosc & Graham Currie & Andrew Molloy, 2021. "Trajectories and transitions: mobility after parenthood," Transportation, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 239-256, February.
    16. Lee, Yongsung & Guhathakurta, Subhrajit, 2018. "An analysis of the effects of suburban densification on vehicle use for shopping: Do existing residents respond to land-use changes in the same way as recent movers?," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 193-204.
    17. Catherine Sundling, 2015. "Travel Behavior Change in Older Travelers: Understanding Critical Reactions to Incidents Encountered in Public Transport," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-23, November.
    18. Jan-Dirk Schmöcker & Tsuyoshi Hatori & David Watling, 2014. "Dynamic process model of mass effects on travel demand," Transportation, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 279-304, March.
    19. Tanu Priya Uteng & Jeff Turner, 2019. "Addressing the Linkages between Gender and Transport in Low- and Middle-Income Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-34, August.
    20. Hu, Yang & van Wee, Bert & Ettema, Dick, 2023. "Intra-household decisions and the impact of the built environment on activity-travel behavior: A review of the literature," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 106(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:24:p:7122-:d:297113. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.