Driving anger: correlates and a test of state-trait theory

doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00226-9

Personality and Individual Differences

Volume 31, Issue 8, December 2001, Pages 1321-1331

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0191-8869(00)00226-9 Get rights and content

Abstract

A survey and field study evaluated predictions from state-trait theory applied to driving anger. Trait driving anger, the propensity to become angry when driving, correlated positively with anger in frequently occurring driving situations and in day-to-day driving and with aggressive and risky behaviors while driving. Although not correlated with crash rates or moving violations, trait driving anger correlated with crash-related conditions such as loss concentration, loss of vehicular control, and close calls. Results generally supported predictions from state-trait theory and the construct validity of the Driving Anger Scale, as well as mapping correlates of the disposition to become angry while driving.

Section snippets

Study 1

Study 1 correlated level of trait driving anger with: (1) reported anger in situations differing in the level of provocation; (2) specific aggressive behaviors (i.e. behavior that is done in anger and/or that could harm, frustrate, intimidate, or express negative feelings towards another driver); (3) specific risky behaviors (i.e. behavior that increases the risk of a crash or other negative outcomes, but that is not necessarily motivated by anger or aggressive in nature); and (4) accidents or

Participants

Participants were 274 (117 male and 157 female) introductory psychology students (Median age=19 years) at a state university of approximately 23,000 in the western USA. Of these 86% were freshmen, 11% sophomores, and 3% juniors and seniors; 89% were white non-Hispanic, 4% Latino, 2% African American, 2% Asian American, and 3% other ethnic backgrounds. Participants received one of three research credits for participation.

Instruments

Participants completed the 14-item short-form of the Driving Anger Scale

Results

Pearson correlations of responses with the Driving Anger Scale are summarized in Table 1. Qualitative interpretation of effect sizes is based on Cohen's (1988) criteria where effect sizes accounting for 1–4% of variance are judged small, 5–14% of variance moderate, and greater than 14% large.

Trait driving anger correlated with reports of anger in response to commonly occurring situations on the road, but the strength of the relationship varied with the situation. There was no correlation when

Discussion

Findings supported the intensity hypothesis from the state-trait model as driving anger was positively related to anger in three commonly occurring driving situations (i.e. normal traffic, rush hour traffic, and being yelled at by another driver). Support was also found for the person×situation interaction corollary of the intensity hypothesis. While there was a positive correlation with the three anger-arousing situations, there was no association with anger while driving unimpeded on a

Study 2

Study 2 extended theory testing by employing a field study in which participants kept logs of their reactions and behavior while driving. To see if trait driving anger was associated with the amount of driving and, therefore, potentially confounded by the amount of exposure to provocation on the road, participants kept track of the number of times and miles they drove. They also recorded the frequency and intensity of anger and the frequency of aggressive and risky behaviors.

Participants

One hundred seventy-nine (61 male and 118 female, Median age=22 years) volunteers from an upper division abnormal psychology class at the same university as in Study 1 participated. Upper division students were recruited because they drove more often than the predominately freshmen sample of Study 1. Of these 90% were white non-Hispanic, 4% African American, 2% Latino, 2% Asian American, and 2% other ethnic background. Of the 192 eligible to participate, 13 chose not to participate or returned

Results

Responses within sections of the driving log were averaged across the three days and correlated (Pearson r) with each other and the DAS (Table 2). Total miles driven formed a small positive correlation with the number of times driven and with the frequency of risky behavior (moderate effect size). The frequency with which one drove correlated positively with the frequency and intensity of anger and the frequency of aggressive and risky behavior. Effect sizes for these relationships were small

Discussion

The total distance traveled in a day was minimally correlated with the frequency with which participants drove. This may have been due to making relatively frequent, short trips. Total mileage, however, correlated positively with risky behavior suggesting that the more one drives, the more likely he or she is to engage in some type of risky behavior. However, the same was not true for the probability of engaging in aggressive behavior. On the other hand, the frequency with which students drove

General discussion and conclusions

As with any research, these studies have their limitations. For example, conclusions are limited to largely White non-Hispanic US college students, and to the survey and field study methodologies employed. Nonetheless, results supported hypotheses from state-trait theory and provided construct validity for the DAS. First, relationships did not appear to be the result of exposure to potential provocation on the road as the DAS was unrelated to the frequency of driving or the miles driven (Study

Acknowledgments

This study was supported, in part, by Grant R49/CCR811509-04 from the Centers for Disease Control and Grants R01 DA04777 and P50 DA07074 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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View full text

Driving anger: correlates and a test of state-trait theory

Abstract

Section snippets

Study 1

Participants

Instruments

Results

Discussion

Study 2

Participants

Results

Discussion

General discussion and conclusions

Acknowledgments

Accident Analysis and Prevention

Addictive Behaviors

Personality and Individual Differences

Aggressive driving: Three studies

On information and regulation of anger and aggression: A cognitive-neoassociationistic analysis

American Psychologist

Computational handbook of statistics

Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences

Characteristics and treatment of high anger drivers

Journal of Counseling Psychology