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Modelling the social and psychological impacts of transport disadvantage

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Abstract

This paper presents the results of a research project aiming to develop a robust empirical model to measure links between transport disadvantage (TD), social exclusion (SE) and well-being (WB). Its principal aim is to improve on current research methods in this field. Existing approaches derive associations between TD and its impacts through simple comparative methods, through qualitative methods and using limited and prescriptive definitions of SE. The new method draws from an interview questionnaire measuring TD through self-reported difficulties with transport. A principal components analysis of responses identifies four statistically significant sub-scales (transit disadvantage, transport disadvantage, vulnerable/impaired and rely on others). SE is represented in five dimensions including income, unemployment, political engagement, participation in activities and social support networks. Well-being adopts standard psychological measures—‘Satisfaction With Life Scale’ (SWLS), ‘Positive Affect’ (PA) and ‘Negative Affect’ (NA). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to model links between TD, SE and WB. A hypothesised model proposed negative associations between SE and WB and between TD and WB and a positive association between TD and SE. Modelling results showed that scales used to measure TD, SE and WB were all statistically related to their underlying concepts. Modelling of the hypothesised links between constructs was generally favourable with a good statistical fit. However the relationship between TD and WB was not significant. An exploratory analysis supported the hypothesis that this was caused by high reported travel difficulties for both highly mobile and less mobile people. A revised theoretical model explored the theory that feelings of isolation due to time poverty might be mediating the TD-WB link. SEM analysis of the revised model confirmed a good model fit with statistically significant measures between TD, time poverty and WB. Time poverty was not found to be associated with social exclusion. The final model suggested that TD is positively associated with SE with a measured strength of .27. SE is strongly negatively associated with WB (−.87). TD is positively associated with time poverty (.19) while time poverty is negatively associated with well-being (−.14). Areas for future research are identified.

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Notes

  1. Australian Research Council Industry Linkage Program Project LP0669046 ‘Investigating Transport Disadvantage, Social Exclusion and Well-being in Metropolitan, Regional and Rural Victoria’, Monash University, in association with the University of Oxford (UK), University of Ulster (UK), Department of Transport, Victoria, the Bus Association of Victoria and the Brotherhood of St. Laurence. The principal chief investigator is Prof. G. Currie and the project Research Fellow is Ms Alexa Delbosc. The chief investigators are Prof. T. Richardson, Prof. P. Smyth and Dr. D. Vella-Brodrick. The partner investigators are Prof. J. Hine, Dr. K. Lucas, Mr. J. Stanley, Dr. J. Morris, Mr. R. Kinnear and Dr. J. Stanley.

  2. Two questions were not included in these factors. “Being able to get information about buses/trains/trams” had a low initial extraction to the model. The Principal Components Analysis was re-run without it. “Being able to get to bus/train/tram stops/stations” was excluded because it loaded equally across three factors.

  3. Similar tests were incorporated into the SEM modelling in Mollenkopf et al. (2005) work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Institute of Transport Studies, Monash University, Building 60, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia

    Graham Currie & Alexa Delbosc

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  1. Graham Currie
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  2. Alexa Delbosc
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Correspondence to Graham Currie.

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Currie, G., Delbosc, A. Modelling the social and psychological impacts of transport disadvantage. Transportation 37, 953–966 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-010-9280-2

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