Article Environment and Behavior, Vol. 40, No. 3, 401-425 (2008) : Objective Versus Perceived Walking Distances to Destinations, Correspondence and Predictive Validity

Eva Leslie, Deakin University

Lorinne Du Toit, University of Queensland

Neville Owen, University of Queensland

Judgments concerning features of environments do not always correspond accurately with objective measures of those same features. Moreover, perceived and objectively assessed environmental attributes, including proximity of destinations, may influence walking behavior in different ways. This study compares perceived and objectively assessed distance to several different destinations and examines whether correspondence between objective and perceived distance is influenced by age, gender, neighborhood walkability, and walking behavior. Distances to most destinations close to home are overestimated, whereas distances to those farther away are underestimated. Perceived and objective distances to certain types of destinations are differentially associated with walking behavior. Perceived environmental attributes do not consistently reflect objectively assessed attributes, and both appear to have differential effects on physical activity behavior.

Key Words: physical activity • walking • environment • destination • awareness