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What Moves Us? An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Reasons for Traveling

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  • Patricia L. Mokhtarian
  • Ilan Salomon
  • Matan E. Singer

Abstract

We review a number of theories of motivation, and typologies of motivations, in psychological theory and in application to a variety of specific contexts, including shopping, eating, leisure, tourism, and travel. A recurring theme is the distinction between extrinsic (instrumental, utilitarian, functional) and intrinsic (autotelic, hedonic, experiential) motivations. We suggest that travel is a behavior to which intrinsic motivations apply, and that focusing exclusively on the extrinsic motivations to travel runs the risk of substantially underestimating the demand for travel, and the resistance to policies attempting to reduce it or to technologies (notably, information and communication technologies) expected to (partly) replace it. We offer a number of suggestions for improving standard travel surveys to help obtain the data needed to explore intrinsic motivations more fully. As better data become available, travel behavior models can be refined to partly account for such motivations. We believe that the resulting insights will be extremely valuable to policy-makers, planners, and behavioral scholars.

Suggested Citation

  • Patricia L. Mokhtarian & Ilan Salomon & Matan E. Singer, 2015. "What Moves Us? An Interdisciplinary Exploration of Reasons for Traveling," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(3), pages 250-274, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:transr:v:35:y:2015:i:3:p:250-274
    DOI: 10.1080/01441647.2015.1013076
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    Cited by:

    1. van Wee, Bert & Mokhtarian, Patricia, 2023. "Escape theory: Explaining a negative motivation to travel," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    2. Combs, Tabitha S., 2017. "Examining changes in travel patterns among lower wealth households after BRT investment in Bogotá, Colombia," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 11-20.
    3. Timothée Cuignet & Camille Perchoux & Geoffrey Caruso & Olivier Klein & Sylvain Klein & Basile Chaix & Yan Kestens & Philippe Gerber, 2020. "Mobility among older adults: Deconstructing the effects of motility and movement on wellbeing," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(2), pages 383-401, February.
    4. Hopkins, Debbie & Stephenson, Janet, 2016. "The replication and reduction of automobility: Findings from Aotearoa New Zealand," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 92-101.
    5. Tao, Sui & Cheng, Long & He, Sylvia & Witlox, Frank, 2023. "Examining the non-linear effects of transit accessibility on daily trip duration: A focus on the low-income population," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    6. Maya Safira & Makoto Chikaraishi, 2023. "The impact of online food delivery service on eating-out behavior: a case of Multi-Service Transport Platforms (MSTPs) in Indonesia," Transportation, Springer, vol. 50(6), pages 2253-2271, December.
    7. Shirgaokar, Manish, 2019. "Operationalizing gendered transportation preferences: A psychological framework incorporating time constraints and risk aversion," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 10-18.
    8. Hopkins, Debbie, 2016. "Can environmental awareness explain declining preference for car-based mobility amongst generation Y? A qualitative examination of learn to drive behaviours," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 149-163.
    9. Gil Solá, Ana & Vilhelmson, Bertil, 2022. "To choose, or not to choose, a nearby activity option: Understanding the gendered role of proximity in urban settings," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    10. Kent, Jennifer & Dowling, Robyn & Maalsen, Sophia, 2017. "Catalysts for transport transitions: Bridging the gap between disruptions and change," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 200-207.
    11. Alexander Bigazzi & Robin Lindsey, 2019. "A utility-based bicycle speed choice model with time and energy factors," Transportation, Springer, vol. 46(3), pages 995-1009, June.
    12. Bojing Liao & Xiang Li, 2023. "Neighborhood Environment and Affective Walking Experience: Cluster Analysis Results of a Virtual-Environment-Based Conjoint Experiment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-19, January.
    13. Enayat Mirzaei & Dominique Mignot, 2021. "An Empirical Analysis of Mode Choice Decision for Utilitarian and Hedonic Trips: Evidence from Iran," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-23, June.
    14. Jia Tang & Feng Zhen & Jason Cao & Patricia L. Mokhtarian, 2018. "How do passengers use travel time? A case study of Shanghai–Nanjing high speed rail," Transportation, Springer, vol. 45(2), pages 451-477, March.
    15. Rezaei, Nazanin & Todd-Blick, Annika & Fujita, K. Sydny & Popovich, Natalie & Needell, Zachary & Poliziani, Cristian & Caicedo, Juan David & Guirado, Carlos & Spurlock, C. Anna, 2024. "At the nexus of equity and transportation modeling: Assessing accessibility through the Individual Experienced Utility-Based Synthesis (INEXUS) metric," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    16. Poudel, Niranjan & Singleton, Patrick A., 2024. "Willingness to pay for changes in travel time and work time: A stated choice experiment of US commuters," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    17. Erik Elldér & Katarina Haugen & Bertil Vilhelmson, 2022. "When local access matters: A detailed analysis of place, neighbourhood amenities and travel choice," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 59(1), pages 120-139, January.
    18. Panagiotis Vaitsis & Socrates Basbas & Andreas Nikiforiadis, 2019. "How Eudaimonic Aspect of Subjective Well-Being Affect Transport Mode Choice? The Case of Thessaloniki, Greece," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-19, January.
    19. Johnson, Rebecca & Shaw, Jon & Berding, Jörn & Gather, Matthias & Rebstock, Markus, 2017. "European national government approaches to older people's transport system needs," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 17-27.
    20. Elena E. Karpova & Iva Jestratijevic & JuYoung Lee & Juanjuan Wu, 2022. "An Ethnographic Study of Collaborative Fashion Consumption: The Case of Temporary Clothing Swapping," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-17, February.

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