Dwight A. Hennessy

The relationship between traffic congestion, driver stress and direct versus indirect coping behaviours

Drivers experiencing rush hour congestion were interviewed using cellular telephones to study stress and coping responses. Measures were taken of each drivers predisposition to stress (trait stress) as well as their reactions to the experience of either low or high traffic congestion (state stress). Two interviews were conducted during the trip when drivers experienced both low and high congestion conditions. Although state stress was greatest for all drivers experiencing the high congestion condition, a trait X situation interaction was obtained, indicating that stress levels were highest for high trait stress drivers experiencing the congested roadway. In terms of trait coping behaviours, participants indicated a preference for direct over indirect behaviours. A greater variety of direct and indirect behaviours were reported in high congestion. Reports of aggressive behaviours showed the greatest increase from low to high congestion. Comments on the use of cellular telephones in methodology are offered.

The Driving Vengeance Questionnaire (DVQ): the development of a scale to measure deviant drivers' attitudes

The Driving Vengeance Questionnaire (DVQ) was developed and administered to assess drivers’ use of vengeance when faced with common driving situations. Subjects in the development of the scale were 266 male and female university students. The scale was then administered to 271 university students (both male and female) and 74 male inmates who were classified as either violent or nonviolent offenders on the basis of the amount of force used in committing the offence. A Cronbach alpha of .83 (M = 40.76, n = 310) indicated a high level of internal consistency for the DVQ. Younger drivers (18-23 years old) indicated higher levels of vengeance while driving than did older drivers (24-66 years old, M = 44.35 and 37.81, respectively). Those with less driving experience (0-6 years) expressed higher levels of vengeance while driving than more experienced drivers (6+ years, M = 42.95 and 38.81, respectively). Male drivers responded with greater vengeance to the questionnaire items than females (M = 42.07 and 39.62, respectively). The level of force used in commission of crime failed to correlate with the DVQ. A factor analysis was performed with a different sample of subjects using a slightly modified version of the DVQ to deal with the issue of whether horn honking constituted an appropriate measure of aggression. When the two relevant DVQ items were changed to read “leaning on horn” rather than mere honking, a strong, single factor of vengeance was found to characterize the scale. Suggestions were made for the use of DVQ in the screening of driving license applicants and in the study of problem drivers.

Gender, Driver Aggression, and Driver Violence: An Applied Evaluation

Drivers completed a questionnaire assessing the likelihood of engaging in mild forms of driver aggression, the frequency of past driver violence, and a disposition toward driver stress. Both male and female drivers reported similar levels of mild driver aggression, supporting the notion that context is important in arousing female aggression. In contrast, driver violence was more frequent among male drivers, demonstrating the relevance of behavioral form within gender linked aggression research. Suggestions for the existence of a gender difference in driver violence, but not mild driver aggression are offered. Finally, driver stress susceptibility was linked to both mild driver aggression and driver violence.

THE INFLUENCE OF MUSIC ON MILD DRIVER AGGRESSION

Abstract Automobile drivers were randomly assigned to either a “music” or “non-music” group. The music group listened to their favorite music, while the non-music group abstained from any music or talk radio, during their entire commute to or from school⧹work. Using a cellular telephone, state measures of driver aggression, time urgency, and stress arousal were obtained during a single commute in low and high congestion conditions. No predictors of mild aggression were found in low congestion. In high congestion, a music X time urgency interaction was found. Mild aggression was lower among those listening to music but only at low levels of time urgency. Results are interpreted in terms of the distractibility and relaxation effects.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DRIVER AGGRESSION, VIOLENCE, AND VENGEANCE

A distinction is made between mild driver aggression and driver violence as unique constructs that differ mainly in frequency of occurrence and severity of outcome. Drivers completed questionnaires assessing the likelihood of engaging in mild driver aggression, the frequency of past driver violence, driving vengeance, and willful violations. Violence was predicted by the interaction of mild aggression and vengeance, such that violence was greater among aggressive drivers, but only for those with elevated levels of vengeance. Driver violence was also predicted by the interaction of mild aggression and violations. Specifically, violence was greater among aggressive drivers reporting traffic violations. The present findings suggest that mild driver aggression and driver violence are linked within a small group of drivers that hold other dangerous driving attitudes and behaviors as part of their typical driving repertoire.

Chapter 12 – Social, Personality, and Affective Constructs in Driving

Publisher Summary This chapter highlights the importance of personal and social influences on driving outcomes. There are numerous categories of individual differences that can impact driving; traffic psychology has often focused on personality variables. One of the most widely studied personality predictors of negative driving behavior is sensation seeking, which is defined as a trait characterized by the pursuit of novel, diverse, and extreme experiences. To achieve these goals, high sensation seekers often display a willingness to take disproportionate physical and social risks. Driving provides an excellent opportunity for high sensation seekers to satisfy the desire for sensation given the inherent potential for arousal, excitement, danger, speed, and competition. In addition the issue of aggressive driving has received a great deal of attention from both scientific and public communities. However, there are differing conceptualizations of the term “aggressive,” which has made it difficult to interpret and compare conclusions in this area. Following the motivational approach to aggression, many have treated traffic aggression as actions intended to physically, psychologically, or emotionally harm another within the driving environment, including drivers, passengers, and pedestrians. Also most traffic research has treated driver stress as the outcome of a negative cognitive appraisal of driving situations. Each driver brings a unique and rich experience base, skill set, expectation, interpretation, and reaction to the distinctive state driving context, yet research has been successful in identifying consistent patterns that can heighten the likelihood of negative driving outcomes.

AGE AND VENGEANCE AS PREDICTORS OF MILD DRIVER AGGRESSION

The present study examined the influence of driver age and vengeance on mild aggression among drivers with at least 5 years experience. Mild aggression decreased with age among low vengeance drivers and changed little across age groups among moderately vengeful drivers. However, mild driver aggression actually increased with age among highly vengeful drivers. Results are interpreted in terms of the aggressive nature of an enduring vengeful attitude.

Personal predictors of spectator aggression at little league baseball games

Parents from two baseball leagues completed questionnaires regarding their likelihood of engaging in various aggressive behaviors (yelling, swearing, shoving, fighting, humiliating) toward targets at youth baseball games (other spectators, umpires, coaches, other players, their child). Overall, the likelihood of all forms of aggression was very low, particularly physical aggression and swearing. Hierarchical entry stepwise regressions were calculated to determine predictors of yelling and humiliating using demographics, trait aggression, anger, hostility, and vengeance as predictors. Parents with greater hostility reported a greater likelihood of humiliating a child’s teammate, while those with elevated trait anger reported a greater likelihood of yelling at other spectators. Finally, parents with a more vengeful attitude reported a greater likelihood of humiliating umpires.

Reliability and Validity of Aggressive Driving Measures in China

The present research was designed to examine the psychometric properties of Chinese versions of the Self Report Driver Behavior Aggression and Assertiveness subscales, the Driving Vengeance Questionnaire, and the Violent Driving Questionnaire. Study 1 found that the all scales demonstrated good internal consistency, with alphas ranging from .76 to .87 and that assertive driving was related to demerit points received over the past 12 months while driver aggression and violence were linked to collisions over the past 12 months. Study 2 found that the scales exhibited reasonable test-retest reliability, with correlations ranging from .82 to .89. Finally, Study 3 showed that each scale was predicted by other dangerous driving attitudes and behaviors, similar to the original versions. The consistency between the translated and original scales, the implications for use in a Chinese sample, and the uniformity of actions in the traffic environment across cultures are discussed.

Efficacy of a family-focused intervention for young drivers with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.

OBJECTIVE Teenage drivers diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at significant risk for negative driving outcomes related to morbidity and mortality. However, there are few viable psychosocial treatments for teens with ADHD and none focus on the key functional area of driving. The Supporting the Effective Entry to the Roadway (STEER) program was evaluated in a clinical trial to investigate whether it improved family functioning as a proximal outcome and driving behavior as a distal outcome. METHOD One hundred seventy-two teenagers with ADHD, combined type, were randomly assigned to STEER or a driver education driver practice program (DEDP). RESULTS Relative to parents in the DEDP condition, parents in STEER were observed to be less negative at posttreatment and 6-month follow-up but not at 12-month follow-up, and there were no significant differences for observed positive parenting. Relative to teens in the DEDP condition, teens in STEER reported lower levels of risky driving behaviors at posttreatment and 6-month follow-up, but not at 12-month follow-up. Groups did not differ on objective observations of risky driving or citations/accidents. CONCLUSIONS The STEER program for novice drivers with ADHD was effective in reducing observations of negative parenting behavior and teen self-reports of risky driving relative to DEDP; groups did not significantly differ on observations of positive parenting or driving behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record