The potential stickiness of pandemic-induced behavior changes in the United States

Deborah Salon (), Matthew Wigginton Conway, Denise Capasso da Silva, Rishabh Singh Chauhan, Sybil Derrible, Abolfazl (Kouros) Mohammadian, Sara Khoeini, Nathan Parker, Laura Mirtich, Ali Shamshiripour, Ehsan Rahimi and Ram M. Pendyala
Additional contact information
Deborah Salon: School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
Matthew Wigginton Conway: School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
Denise Capasso da Silva: School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
Rishabh Singh Chauhan: Department of Civil, Materials, and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607
Sybil Derrible: Department of Civil, Materials, and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607
Abolfazl (Kouros) Mohammadian: Department of Civil, Materials, and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607
Sara Khoeini: School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
Nathan Parker: School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
Laura Mirtich: School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281
Ali Shamshiripour: Department of Civil, Materials, and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607
Ehsan Rahimi: Department of Civil, Materials, and Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607
Ram M. Pendyala: School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021, vol. 118, issue 27, e2106499118

Abstract: Human behavior is notoriously difficult to change, but a disruption of the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to bring about long-term behavioral changes. During the pandemic, people have been forced to experience new ways of interacting, working, learning, shopping, traveling, and eating meals. A critical question going forward is how these experiences have actually changed preferences and habits in ways that might persist after the pandemic ends. Many observers have suggested theories about what the future will bring, but concrete evidence has been lacking. We present evidence on how much US adults expect their own postpandemic choices to differ from their prepandemic lifestyles in the areas of telecommuting, restaurant patronage, air travel, online shopping, transit use, car commuting, uptake of walking and biking, and home location. The analysis is based on a nationally representative survey dataset collected between July and October 2020. Key findings include that the “new normal” will feature a doubling of telecommuting, reduced air travel, and improved quality of life for some.

Keywords: COVID-19; remote work; telecommuting; disruption; survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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