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Household decisions on the energy consumption behavior are with regard to the situations that multiple end-uses (e.g., domestic appliances and vehicles) are simultaneously hold and consumed. To deal with this issue, the multiple discrete–continuous models are the best choices from the behavioral perspective. This study compared two types of utility theory-based multiple discrete–continuous models, which are widely applied in the literature: multiple discrete–continuous extreme value (MDCEV) model and the improved resource allocation model based on the multi-linear function (RAM-MLF). A household energy consumption survey was carried out in Beijing in 2010, and the comparative analysis on the performance of these two models is carried out based on the survey data. Results show that the overall performance of RAM-MLF is slightly superior to the MDCEV model due to the incorporation of the inter-end-use interaction and the relative importance of end uses. Moreover, the utility structure by using the satiation parameters to represent the diminishing marginal utility with the increasing consumption shows better fitness than the structure only using the logarithmic function. These findings can be contributed to understand the household energy consumption behavior, while suggest the potential improvement of the model structure, which is mainly focused on the utility form and the decision making mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A life history survey of Japanese’s four types of biographies is implemented. [•] Residence, household structure, job/education and car ownership are targeted. [•] An exhaustive CHAID analysis is done to capture biographical interdependences. [•] Both intra-domain and inter-domain biographical interdependences are observed. [•] Both short- and long-term state dependence and future expectations are identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces an extended version of a standard multilevel cross-classified logit model which takes co-variations into account, i.e., variations jointly caused by two or more unobserved factors. Whilst focusing on mode choice behavior, this study deals with four different types of variation: spatial variations, inter-individual variations, intra-individual variations and co-variations between inter-individual and spatial variations. Such co-variations represent individual-specific spatial effects, reflecting different responses to the same space among individuals, which may for example be due to differences in their spatial perceptions. In our empirical analysis, we use data from Mobi drive (a continuous six-week travel survey) to clarify the existence of co-variation effects by comparing two models with and without co-variation terms. The results of this analysis indicate that co-variations certainly exist, especially for utility differences in bicycle and public transport use in comparison with car use. We then sequentially introduce four further sets of explanatory variables, examine the sources of behavioral variations and determine what types of influential factors are dominant in mode choice behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Travel behavior models assuming individual decision-making processes have been a dominant theme in transportation studies. While the assumption that an individual can decide on all relevant aspects of some types of travel behavior may be reasonable, in many other aspects household members interact before making decisions about different activities that they perform and the time that is involved. On the other hand, different types of households may show different group decision-making mechanisms. In other words, there might exist diverse intra-household interactions during joint decision-making processes. To reflect this point, this paper aims to develop a new household time allocation model based on the iso-elastic class of social welfare function, which can include different types of household utility functions as special cases (e.g., Nash, utilitarianism, autocratic and max–min types). Throughout this empirical analysis, which uses an activity diary data collected in a depopulated region of Japan, the effectiveness of the proposed model is confirmed. Furthermore, the model’s applicability in evaluating transportation policies for elderly people is examined based on a simulation analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Individual choice behavior usually involves a complex decision-making process, and is often context-dependent reflecting the influence of choice environment and the fact that the individual has limited information processing ability and varying levels of interest in alternatives. However, the existing models in transportation have not represented these behavioral mechanisms satisfactorily, although to avoid the Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA) property of the widely used multinomial logit (MNL) model, a variety of non-IIA models have been suggested in the literature. This paper will propose another random utility choice model by introducing the concepts of relative utility and relative interest. A revised MNL model and a revised Nested-MNL model will be developed. Both of these models do not have the IIA property. The performance of these new models will be assessed using conjoint-based activity diary data about the choice of destination and stop pattern. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]