Travel and subjective well-being: a focus on findings, methods and future research needs

De Vos, J; Schwanen, T; Van Acker, V; Witlox, F

Journal article

Travel and subjective well-being: a focus on findings, methods and future research needs

Abstract:: Subjectively experienced well-being has recently attracted increased attention in transport and mobility studies. However, these studies are still in their infancy and many of the multifarious links between travel behaviour and well-being are still under-examined; most studies only focus on one aspect of this link (i.e. travel satisfaction). In this paper, we give an overview of studies concerning travel and well-being, focusing on results, methods and gaps in present research. We suggest that travel behaviour affects well-being through experiences during (destination-oriented) travel, activity participation enabled by travel, activities during (destination-oriented) travel, trips where travel is the activity and through potential travel (or motility). The majority of empirical studies to date have been based on hedonic views of well-being, where pleasure and satisfaction are seen as the ultimate goal in life. They have paid little attention to eudaimonic views of well-being, which emphasise the realisation of one's true potential, although this form of well-being can also be influenced by travel behaviour. We also argue that longer-term decisions, such as residential location choices, can affect well-being through travel. Travel options differ between different kinds of neighbourhoods, which can result in different levels of (feelings of) freedom and consequently different levels of subjective well-being. Since studies at present only show a subset of the travel behaviour–well-being interactions, we conclude the paper with an agenda for future research.

Publication status:: Published

Peer review status:: Peer reviewed

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APA Style

De Vos, J., Schwanen, T., Van Acker, V., & Witlox, F. (2013). Travel and subjective well-being: a focus on findings, methods and future research needs. Transport Reviews: A Transnational Transdisciplinary Journal, 33(4), 421–442.

MLA Style

De Vos, J, et al. “Travel and Subjective Well-Being: a Focus on Findings, Methods and Future Research Needs.” Transport Reviews: A Transnational Transdisciplinary Journal, vol. 33, no. 4, 2013, pp. 421–42.

Chicago Style

De Vos, J, T Schwanen, V Van Acker, and F Witlox. 2013. “Travel and Subjective Well-Being: a Focus on Findings, Methods and Future Research Needs.” Transport Reviews: A Transnational Transdisciplinary Journal 33 (4): 421–42.
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