Citation

Hensher DA, Johnson LW. Transp. Plann. Tech. 1983; 8(3): 203-216.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1983, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/03081068308717252

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

A question often asked of modellers is ?does it really make a difference to the final result whether you use technique A or B or C?? A common response is ?I think so but I have not made the comparisons; however it can be argued on theoretical grounds that technique B is likely to be superior.? This paper documents the theoretical merits of seven econometric model forms and explores the empirical differences among them using a well?specified set of explanatory variables associated with the mode?choice decision for a cross?section of Sydney commuters. The empirical results suggest that the standard goodness?of?fit criteria (t?values, prediction success and elasticities) provide an inadequate basis for selecting a modelling procedure from a set of non?nested models which are estimated using different statistical methods (i.e. OLS and MLE). Simplified models are also a dangerous mechanism for screening explanatory variables for inclusion/exclusion in more appropriate models. There is a need for research to establish other criteria and tests for selection of a model form.