MODELING GROUP DECISION-MAKING MECHANISMS IN HOUSEHOLD TRAVEL BEHAVIOR:

THEORIES AND AN APPLICATION

Abstract

Choice models with individual decision-making mechanisms have been dominating in transportation, even though it has been long recognized that in many cases, an individual makes his/her choice together with other people. This paper establishes an additional household choice model with group decision-making mechanisms based on a multi-linear household utility function, which can theoretically and endogenously deal with intra-household interaction and members’ relative influences in joint decision-making process. The model is applied to represent households’ vehicle type choices, using a data collected in two Japanese cities in 2004. The effectiveness of the model is empirically confirmed from both model performance and applicability to analysis of household car ownership behavior.