Travel socialization within households: A longitudinal analysis

While transport research has shown that individual attitudes and subjective norms affect travel behavior, most studies overlook how household-level travel socialization processes (i.e., how attitudes and behaviors are transmitted between members) affect these patterns over time. The current study examines socialization processes in two household types, two-partner and family households, focusing on how fathers (or male partners), mothers (or female partners), and children influence each other’s travel attitudes and behaviors over time. Using a two-wave cross-lagged panel model from the Netherlands Mobility Panel, we test the directionality of these effects. Results indicate that (i) in two-partner households, sustainable modes show more bidirectional effects between partners, though train use remains asymmetrical; (ii) in family households, the socialization process is largely parent-driven, with mothers playing a central role in influencing sustainable travel attitudes/behaviors of both children and partners; (iii) car use shows bidirectional effects between children and parents; and (iv) in both household types, individual travel behaviors are also highly stable over time, indicating the importance of behavioral consistency in addition to socialization processes. Mode-specific strategies targeting influential household members; mothers for cycling, parents for train use, and children for car reduction; can more effectively promote sustainable travel.