Car pride and its behavioral implications: an exploration in Shanghai
Abstract Beyond their functional purpose, cars are often considered a status symbol. There may exist a certain level of pride associated with owning and using cars, particularly in regions where motorization is rapidly growing. However, there is little empirical evidence in terms of how car pride i...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Springer US
2021
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/131521 |
| _version_ | 1826204156727132160 |
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| author | Zhao, Zhan Zhao, Jinhua |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Zhao, Zhan Zhao, Jinhua |
| author_sort | Zhao, Zhan |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Abstract
Beyond their functional purpose, cars are often considered a status symbol. There may exist a certain level of pride associated with owning and using cars, particularly in regions where motorization is rapidly growing. However, there is little empirical evidence in terms of how car pride is related to different behavioral aspects, such as car ownership and use, especially in the context of developing countries. This paper presents an exploration of car pride and its association with car-related behavior. In this work, car pride is defined as the self-conscious emotion derived from the appraisal of owning and using cars as a positive self-representation. It pertains to both the symbolic and affective functions of the car. Using survey data (n = 1389) from Shanghai, China, we empirically measure car pride as a latent variable based on five Likert-scale statements and test the association of car pride with car use, vehicle preferences, and car ownership. Based on two structural equation models, we show that: (1) car pride is positively correlated with car use; (2) car pride correlates significantly with owning newer, more expensive, and luxury cars, and Shanghai’s more expensive local car licenses; (3) car owners in general have higher car pride than non-owners; and (4) car pride is largely independent of one’s socio-economic characteristics. Although the analysis focuses on Shanghai, the findings of the positive correlation between car pride and behavior are consistent with prior studies in developed countries. These findings highlight the importance of car pride regarding multiple behavioral aspects of car ownership and use and its potential impact on mobility management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T12:49:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/131521 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T12:49:47Z |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publisher | Springer US |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1315212023-03-24T18:16:17Z Car pride and its behavioral implications: an exploration in Shanghai Zhao, Zhan Zhao, Jinhua Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Urban Studies and Planning Abstract Beyond their functional purpose, cars are often considered a status symbol. There may exist a certain level of pride associated with owning and using cars, particularly in regions where motorization is rapidly growing. However, there is little empirical evidence in terms of how car pride is related to different behavioral aspects, such as car ownership and use, especially in the context of developing countries. This paper presents an exploration of car pride and its association with car-related behavior. In this work, car pride is defined as the self-conscious emotion derived from the appraisal of owning and using cars as a positive self-representation. It pertains to both the symbolic and affective functions of the car. Using survey data (n = 1389) from Shanghai, China, we empirically measure car pride as a latent variable based on five Likert-scale statements and test the association of car pride with car use, vehicle preferences, and car ownership. Based on two structural equation models, we show that: (1) car pride is positively correlated with car use; (2) car pride correlates significantly with owning newer, more expensive, and luxury cars, and Shanghai’s more expensive local car licenses; (3) car owners in general have higher car pride than non-owners; and (4) car pride is largely independent of one’s socio-economic characteristics. Although the analysis focuses on Shanghai, the findings of the positive correlation between car pride and behavior are consistent with prior studies in developed countries. These findings highlight the importance of car pride regarding multiple behavioral aspects of car ownership and use and its potential impact on mobility management. 2021-09-20T17:17:26Z 2021-09-20T17:17:26Z 2018-09-05 2020-09-24T21:24:58Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/131521 en https://doi.org/10.1007/s11116-018-9917-0 Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature application/pdf Springer US Springer US |
| spellingShingle | Zhao, Zhan Zhao, Jinhua Car pride and its behavioral implications: an exploration in Shanghai |
| title | Car pride and its behavioral implications: an exploration in Shanghai |
| title_full | Car pride and its behavioral implications: an exploration in Shanghai |
| title_fullStr | Car pride and its behavioral implications: an exploration in Shanghai |
| title_full_unstemmed | Car pride and its behavioral implications: an exploration in Shanghai |
| title_short | Car pride and its behavioral implications: an exploration in Shanghai |
| title_sort | car pride and its behavioral implications an exploration in shanghai |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/131521 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zhaozhan carprideanditsbehavioralimplicationsanexplorationinshanghai AT zhaojinhua carprideanditsbehavioralimplicationsanexplorationinshanghai |