Decisions concerning Communication Modes and the Influence of Travel Time: A Situational Approach

Taede Tillema, Martin Dijst and Tim Schwanen
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Taede Tillema: Department of Planning, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
Martin Dijst: Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80115, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands
Tim Schwanen: Transport Studies Unit, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QY, England

Environment and Planning A, 2010, vol. 42, issue 9, 2058-2077

Abstract: In this paper we examine the tradeoff between face-to-face (F2F) communication and a telephone call in the situation where people consider discussing something important but not urgent with a good friend located at a distance. In so doing we extend previous studies of communication behaviour in two ways. We develop and employ a situational approach to communication mode choice inspired by time geography and attitude theory, and we devote particular attention to the socio-psychological mechanisms driving communication mode decisions. As a consequence, we can analyse the effects of travel time in the physical world on communication choices via and in combination with those of a person's attitudes, perceptions, desires, and past behaviours. Our data collected from Dutch single-earner and dual-earner households suggest that travel time mediates the effects of goal desire, past behaviour, and perceived time pressure. When the travel time increases, respondents with a strong desire to discuss something important but not urgent trade a preference for F2F contact for a telephone conversation. Those who have frequently used the telephone in a similar situation before have a lower intention to conduct an F2F conversation but only when the travel time is short. Finally, we see that time-pressured respondents are more inclined to use the telephone when the travel time is longer, presumably because F2F communication involves more time in that situation.

Date: 2010
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:envira:v:42:y:2010:i:9:p:2058-2077

DOI: 10.1068/a4325

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