Psy 409a - Driving Psychology
January 30, 2006
Road Rage and Aggressive Driving
Tiare MacDonald
Leon James and Diane Nahl (2000). Road Rage and
Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of Highway Warfare. (
Instructions
for this activity are found at:
www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/g24-oral1.htm
Instructor: Dr. Leon James
I. The Expanding Age of Rage
a. Hostility has infiltrated many parts of our society, and continues to increase.
b. Rage has extended into other domains besides the road--everywhere from cafeterias to the ocean.
c. Instances where people give into their rage or respond to others’ rage can become deadly.
II. The Anger Choice
a. For animals, aggression is an automatic response.
b. This is not the case for humans, who can decide to respond differently when confronted with feelings of anger.
c. The choice to respond aggressively or not is largely determined by what is considered acceptable in society.
d. Although popular opinion holds that expressing anger is adaptive because it purges negative feelings, evidence demonstrates that doing so may actually lead to an increase in stress and the weakening of the immune system.
e. Choosing to not respond angrily on the road means remembering the main goal of drivers is to be in charge of their automobiles and their present circumstances. Responding angrily means relinquishing this authority.
III. George Washington’s Rules of Civility
a. George Washington lived his life being morally committed to restraining himself from angering, and was the better man for it.
b.
IV. Developing Emotional Literacy
a. It is important for drivers to acquire emotional literacy skills.
b. Emotional literacy means being conscious of one’s affective and cognitive processes while driving.
c. Drivers who do not possess emotional literacy skills may believe that they are better drivers than they actually are, and do not take full responsibility for their actions.
d. Emotional literacy reduces suffering done to oneself, others, and society in general.
e. Creating a sense of community versus individuality is the key to promoting a supportive driving environment.
f. Driving society is in its first evolutionary stage, which is marked by uncivilized behavior.
g. Evolving past this is necessary, but can only be done if training programs and resources are available to foster a supportive driving society.
V. Protecting Yourself from Aggressive Drivers
a. Although people may be familiar with ways to behave more safely and politely on the road, especially in response to other aggressive drivers, they will not necessarily adhere to these methods.
Related links:
http://www.awesomelibrary.org/road-rage.html
Prevent Road Rage
I found this website to be interesting because it discussed several ways to minimize road rage, but it featured the “Sorry” sign. This website suggests that drivers should make a “Sorry” sign, and display it when they accidentally cut someone off, etc., to minimize an angry response. However, I think this would actually infuriate other drivers, who may believe that this driver is being sarcastic (especially since the driver made a sign beforehand). On the other hand, I think they have the right idea about how drivers should consistently respond with kindness and humility in the presence of an angry driver.
http://www.impactpress.com/articles/decjan98/anger.htm
The Age of Anger
I thought this website was fascinating because it discussed how anger has become acceptable part of American society—even to the point of glorification in some respects. Throughout history, Americans have been given the message that aggression is an effective way of dealing with situations. This website gives examples the various institutions and events have acted throughout time to cultivate a culture of anger and violence.
http://emotionalliteracyeducation.com/index.shtml
Emotional Literacy Education and Self-Knowledge: How to Make the World a
I picked this website because it gave broad information on the concept of emotional literacy. Emotional literacy is a general concept that strives to create morally responsible and aware humans who honor the human rights of others. This website discusses how we live in a society that is deficient of emotional literacy.
My Homepage: http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409as2006/macdonald/macdonald-home.htm
Class Homepage: www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/classhome-g24.htm