Text-aided Group Decision-making Process Observation Method (x-GDP): A novel methodology for observing the joint decision-making process of travel choices

Abstract: Joint travel decisions, particularly related to social activities remain poorly explained in traditional behavioral models. A key reason for this is the lack of empirical data, and the difficulties associated with collecting such data in the first place. To address this problem, we propose Text-aided Group Decision-making Process Observation Method (x-GDP), a novel survey methodology to collect data on joint leisure activities, from all members of a given clique. Through this method we are able to observe not only the outcome (i.e., the joint activity location chosen) but also the decision-making process itself, including the alternatives that compose the choice set, individual and clique characteristics that might affect the choice process, as well as the discussion behind the choice via texts. Observing such a process will allow researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the joint decision-making process, including how alternatives are weighted, how members interact with each other, and finally how joint choices are made. In this paper we introduce the results of a x-GDP survey implementation focusing on joint eating-out activities in the Greater Tokyo Area, giving a detailed overview of the survey components, execution logistics and initial insights on the data. This is to the best of our knowledge the first attempt to observe group joint travel decisions in real time through a zoom-moderated experiment.