Investigating Responsibility in the Driving Context: Associations with Driving Anger Expressions and Driver Behaviors

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore the predicting role of responsibility (behavioral responsibility and feeling of responsibility) on driving anger expressions (verbal, personal physical, use of vehicle, and adaptive/constructive) and driver behaviors (ordinary and aggressive violations, errors, and lapses). A sample of 279 drivers (188 female and 91 male) completed an online survey which included Driver Behavior Questionnaire, Driving Anger Expression Inventory, and Feelings of Responsibility and Behavioral Responsibility Scale. Hierarchical regression analyses partially supported the expectations. Accordingly, behavioral responsibility, but not feelings of responsibility, was found as a predictor for driver behaviors. In detail, behavioral responsibility was a significant predictor for ordinary violations, errors and lapses, but not for aggressive violations. Additionally, behavioral responsibility negatively predicted verbal anger expression, feeling of responsibility negatively predicted use of the vehicle to express anger and lastly, behavioral responsibility positively predicted adaptive/constructive anger expression. Lastly, mediation analyses were conducted to investigate the indirect relationships between variables. The difference between patterns of results of the analyses with behavioral responsibility and feelings of responsibility highlights the difference between feeling and behavior, that is two concepts based on different psychological backgrounds do not necessarily lead to one another. The results were discussed in the framework of the related literature.

Keywords

• driver behavior
• driving anger expression
• responsibility

Sorumluluğun Sürücülük Bağlamında İncelenmesi: Sürücü Öfke İfadesi ve Sürücü Davranışları

Abstract

Bu çalışmanın amacı, sorumluluğun (davranışsal sorumluluk ve sorumluluk duygusu) sürücülük öfke ifadeleri (sözel, kişisel fiziksel, araç kullanımı ve uyarlanabilir/yapıcı) ve sürücü davranışları (sıradan ve saldırgan ihlaller, hatalar) üzerindeki yordayıcı rolünü araştırmaktır. 279 sürücüden oluşan bir örneklem (188 kadın ve 91 erkek), Sürücü Davranışı Anketi, Sürücü Öfke İfadesi Envanteri ve Sorumluluk Duygusu ve Davranışı Ölçeğini içeren çevrimiçi bir anketi tamamlamıştır. Hiyerarşik regresyon analizleri sonuçları araştırmanın beklentilerini kısmen desteklemektedir. Buna göre, davranışsal sorumluluğun sürücü davranışlarının bir yordayıcısı olduğu, sorumluluk duygusunun ise olmadığı bulunmuştur. Ayrıntılı olarak, davranışsal sorumluluğun, sıradan ihlaller, hatalar ve ihmaller ile ilişkili olduğu, ancak saldırgan ihlaller için ilişkili olmadığı desteklenmiştir. Bunun dışında, davranışsal sorumluluk sözel öfke ifadesini olumsuz yönde, sorumluluk duygusu öfkeyi ifade etmek için araç kullanımını yine olumsuz yönde yordamış ve son olarak davranışsal sorumluluk uyum sağlayıcı/yapıcı öfke ifadesini olumlu yönde yordamıştır. Son olarak, değişkenler arasındaki dolaylı ilişkileri test etmek için aracılık analizlerine de başvurulmuştur. Davranışsal sorumluluk ve sorumluluk duyguları ile yapılan analizlerin sonuçlarının arasındaki fark, duygu ve davranış arasındaki farkı, yani farklı psikolojik arka planlara dayanan iki kavramın mutlaka birbirine yol açmadığını vurgulamaktadır. Sonuçlar ilgili literatür çerçevesinde tartışılmıştır.

Keywords

• sürücü davranışları
• sürücü öfke ifadesi
• sorumluluk

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