01663917

Component

Though panel data has substantial advantages over cross-sectional data in the study of travel behavior change, it also introduces logistical and methodological challenges to researchers. Retrospective surveys have the advantage of addressing many of these challenges, though the measurement validity of recalled answers remains an important concern. In this study, the author assesses the measurement validity of recalled characteristics related to bicycling: usual use of a bicycle to commute, bicycling attitude, and bicycling skill. He statistically analyzes data collected prospectively in the 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16 UC Davis Campus Travel Surveys and retrospectively in the 2016-17 UC Davis Campus Travel Survey. He finds that prospective answers are strongly associated with recalled responses, that the passage of time has weak, uncertain influence on recollection, and that present-day attributes attenuate the relationship between prospective and retrospective answers. He concludes that the recalled answers display a sufficient degree of correspondence to prospectively-collected response to have faith in analyses using retrospective survey data (at least questions that do not query characteristics beyond 4-5 years). The author suggests that further research be done on the measurement validity of retrospective survey data to contribute to the knowledge base on this important methodological topic.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ABJ40 Standing Committee on Travel Survey Methods.

18-04195

English

7p

2018

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

References; Tables

Attitudes; Bicycle commuting; Bicycling; Cyclists; Measurement; Memory; Travel behavior; Travel surveys; Validity

University of California, Davis

Prospective analysis; Retrospective analysis

Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-04195

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 8 2018 11:02AM