Simultaneous Model for Household Interactions in Daily Activity, Information and Communication, and Social Behavior

Abstract

This paper describes the development, estimation, and interpretation of a simultaneous structural equations model relating sociodemographics, household interactions in daily in-home and out-of-home physical and virtual activity participation, social interactions (measured by with whom the activities are performed), use of telecommunication, and travel behavior. The model is unique in its simultaneous representation of each decision maker's choices about participation patterns for solo and joint with-whom in-home and out-of-home physical and virtual activities, and the complex set of structural relationships among such patterns, and household and individual sociodemographics. The empirical model was estimated by using data from a recent 2-day activity and travel diary survey conducted in the Cairo, Egypt, region. The results highlight the influence of sociodemographics, household traditions, beliefs, social roles, and lifestyle on individuals’ solo- and joint-activity patterns. Furthermore, the results showed a significant trade-off between joint and solo participation for both in-home and out-of-home activity participation. In contrast, significant complementary relationships were found between joint in-home virtual activities and joint out-of-home activities. Furthermore, this study provides another justification for the holistic and comprehensive approach to studying the interrelationships between information and communication technologies and household interactions in daily activity and travel behavior. The results revealed complementary relationships between joint activity participation and telecommunication use. These results have important implications for estimation and forecasting of activity travel demand, given the significant household interaction patterns, especially for people of Cairo.