Commuting and Life Satisfaction Revisited: Evidence on a Non-linear Relationship

Ingenfeld, Julia; Wolbring, Tobias; Bless, Herbert

doi:10.1007/s10902-018-0064-2

Cited by 31 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…She found no association between commute distance and overall SWB, whether experiential or evaluative. Ingenfeld, Wolbring, and Bless (2018) analysed GSOEP data over a longer period and found a negative association between commute distance and life satisfaction when commute distance is specified as a continuous variable but that the negative association is only strongly significant for commute distances over 80 kms when commute distance is specified as a categorical variable. This suggests greater attention should be given to non-linear effects in future research.…”

Section: Panel Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Commuting and wellbeing: a critical overview of the literature with implications for policy and future research

et al. 2019

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This review provides a critical overview of what has been learnt about commuting's impact on subjective wellbeing (SWB). It is structured around a conceptual model which assumes commuting can affect SWB over three time horizons: (i) during the journey; (ii) immediately after the journey; and (iii) over the longer term. Our assessment of the evidence shows that mood is lower during the commute than other daily activities and stress can be induced by congestion, crowding and unpredictability. People who walk or cycle to work are generally more satisfied with their commute than those who travel by car and especially those who use public transport. Satisfaction decreases with duration of commute, regardless of mode used, and increases when travelling with company. After the journey, evidence shows that the commute experience "spills over" into how people feel and perform at work and home. However, a consistent link between commuting and life satisfaction overall has not been established. The evidence suggests that commuters are generally successful in trading off the drawbacks of longer and more arduous commute journeys against the benefits they bring in relation to overall life satisfaction, but further research is required to understand the decision making involved. The evidence review points to six areas that warrant policy action and research: (i) enhancing the commute experience; (ii) increasing commute satisfaction; (iii) reducing the impacts of long duration commutes; (iv) meeting commuter preferences; (v) recognising flexibility and constraints in commuting routines and (vi) accounting for SWB impacts of commuting in policy making and appraisal.

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Section: Panel Studiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Commuting and wellbeing: a critical overview of the literature with implications for policy and future research

et al. 2019

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“…And fifth, the acceptability of travel time implies both that the experience of travel is subjective, that it is individual, and that it may vary with time itselfor with a combination of distance and speed (Banister, 2011). Several researchers have suggested a negative relationship between travel time, distance and travel satisfaction (see De Vos et al, 2013 for a review of the studies in the field) as well as life satisfaction (Ingenfeld, Wolbring, & Bless, 2018;Stutzer & Frey, 2008). Milakis et al (2015) and Milakis and van Wee (2018) identified low levels of satisfaction of the subjects interviewed in Berkeley, California and Delft, The Netherlands with very short (<15 min.)…”

Section: The Traveller Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Worthwhile travel time: a conceptual framework of the perceived value of enjoyment, productivity and fitness while travelling

et al. 2021

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By tradition, transport appraisal relies primarily on travel time savings and monetary values. Assessment tools rarely factor in the perspective of travellers in terms of their subjective travel experience while on the move. Worthwhile travel time introduces the idea that travel can be pleasant, meaningful or worthwhile and not exclusively associated with the economic utility of the activity at the destination of the trip and the work-related productivity during the trip. This paper explores how the "worthwhile use of travel time" can be conceptualised and unpacked, so that it can be adequately captured and integrated into transport appraisal practice. We reviewed the literature on worthwhile travel time and perceived travel experience in psychology, economics, public health and travel behaviour research and we formulated the conceptual framework of worthwhile travel time that is grounded on the traveller's perception of three forms of value emerging from existing literature: enjoyment, productivity, and health. Our conceptual framework of worthwhile travel time suggests that experience factors (i.e. travel conditions as experienced by the traveller) can enable travel activities (i.e. the trip itself or activities on-themove), which in turn unlock the values of enjoyment, productivity and fitness that influence the perceived worthwhileness of a trip to a different degree each. Additional (explanatory) factors such as the door-to-door trip characteristics, the traveller's personal characteristics and attitude, and the spatial and temporal conditions can also influence the perceived worthwhileness of a trip. On a policy level, the integration of the worthwhile travel time concept into transport appraisal practice could allow future transport investments to offer a better balance between reduced travel times and improved quality and experience of a trip for the traveller.

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“…It can have substantial adverse subjective well-being effects, particularly because of reduced free time. Previous findings show that lengthy commuting is associated with lower well-being (Stutzer & Frey 2008), lower satisfaction with one's social contacts (Delmelle, Haslauer, & Prinz 2013), lower life satisfaction (Brömmelhaus, Feldhaus, & Schlegel 2019;Drobnič, Beham, & Präg 2010;Ingenfeld, Wolbring, & Bless 2019;Nie & Sousa-Poza 2018;Pfaff 2014), and poorer health (Hoehner et al 2012;Künn-Nelen 2016;Rüger & Schulze 2016). It has also been associated with reduced sleeping time and less physical activity (Christian 2012;Pfeifer 2018) as well as with a higher perceived stress level (Gottholmseder et al 2009; Rüger &Schulze 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Parental commuting and child well-being in Germany

Borowsky¹,

Drobnič²,

Feldhaus³

2020

JFamRes

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The number of people commuting to work is increasing, including those who spend at least two hours travelling to and from work per day. In Germany, the group of these long-distance commuters comprises about 1.6 million people. To date, there has been little research on the possible consequences of long commuting times for family life and commuters’ children. On the basis of a pooled data set from the German Family Panel pairfam, we examine the relationship between parental commuting, the parent-child relationship and child well-being, both from the parent’s as well as the child’s perspective while also distinguishing between mothers and fathers. Some results indicate that long-distance commuting is associated with a poorer parent-child relationship and ultimately with lower child well-being. However, the association is rather sporadic and substantively weak.

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Commuting and Life Satisfaction Revisited: Evidence on a Non-linear Relationship

Cited by 31 publications

References 42 publications

Commuting and wellbeing: a critical overview of the literature with implications for policy and future research

Commuting and wellbeing: a critical overview of the literature with implications for policy and future research

Worthwhile travel time: a conceptual framework of the perceived value of enjoyment, productivity and fitness while travelling

Parental commuting and child well-being in Germany

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