AN INTERDEPENDENCE ANALYSIS OF COMMUTING DECISIONS

The current research advances an inter dependence analysis of commutin g decisions (i.e. commuting by car versus public transportation), deli neating the determinants of an individual's outcomes in terms of own d ecisions, other commuters' decisions, and the combination or interacti on of own and others' decisions (Kelley & Thibaut, 1978). Consistent w ith hypotheses, findings revealed that a concern with comfort led to a higher overall personal preference for the car, and a lower overall p reference for others to commute by public transportation,,when compare d to a concern,with travel time. Additionally, consistent,with the cla im that commuter decisions are also guided by considerations broader t han a concern with individual outcomes, findings revealed that individ uals with prosocial orientations (i.e. those concerned with maximizing collective outcomes) in combination with high levels of trust (i.e. b elieving in the honesty and cooperative intentions of others) exhibite d a greater overall personal preference for public transportation, and a reduced desire to avoid to avoid other commuters, relative to indiv iduals with a prosocial orientation and low levels of trust, or a pros elf orientation (i.e. those concerned primarily with maximizing own ou tcomes), regardless of levels of trust. Finally, consistent with the c urrent interdependence analysis, intention to commute by car was posit ively associated with not only overall personal preference for the cal , but also,with the desire to avoid other commuters.