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Self‐Determination Theory as a Framework for Understanding Road Rage 1
Author(s) -
Knee C. Raymond,
Neighbors Clayton,
Vfetor Nathaniel A.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.2001.tb02654.x
Subject(s) - anger , psychology , orientation (vector space) , rage (emotion) , social psychology , feeling , autonomy , aggressive driving , aggression , anxiety , poison control , human factors and ergonomics , medicine , geometry , mathematics , environmental health , psychiatry , political science , law
The present study examined relations between motivational orientations, driving anger, and aggressive driving behaviors. It was hypothesized that the tendency to regulate behavior according to contingencies and pressures (controlled orientation), as opposed to interest and choice (autonomy orientation), would be associated with experiencing more driving anger and in turn driving more aggressively. Data from 109 college students were examined. As hypothesized, (a) controlled orientation was associated with feeling more driving anger as a result of other drivers' actions; (b) controlled orientation was associated with more aggressive driving behaviors and more traffic citations; (c) the relation between controlled orientation and aggressive driving was mediated by driving anger; and (d) self‐esteem and social anxiety did not account for the results of motivational orientations.