PSY 409A Driving Psychology, February 06, 2006

Anger and Emotional Literacy

Colin Sado

Leon James and Diane Nahl (2000).  Road Rage and Aggressive Driving: Steering Clear of

Highway Warfare.  (Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books) Pages 32-43.

Instructions for this assignment:

www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/g24-oral1.htm

Instructor: Dr. Leon James

I.          Anger

a.  Strong feeling of hostility or displeasure used to negotiate dominance

i. Anger does not always lead to aggressive behavior.

1.  Humans have mediating processes.

2.  Anger is a habit that can be changed .

3.  Anger can be mediated by what a person feels is or is not allowed.

4.  Aggression is a behavioral strategy used to bring dominance over a

     stranger.

b.  Dealing with anger

i.  Venting rage behind the wheel

1.  Makes a person feel great to vent.

2.  Popular beliefs say that venting is healthy.

3.  Instead, medical research disagrees.

a.  Venting increases stress.

b.  Venting depresses the immune system functioning.

ii.  Viewed that anger is uncontrollable.

1.  Anger is triggered automatically.

2.  Instead, the triggering is the sudden realization of danger.

3.  This is the moment where we make our decision on how to react.

a.  If we link the event to our self-esteem, you are choosing road

    rage because of feeling demeaned.

b.  If we realize the main goal is to stay in control of the vehicle,

    we act in kind and let it go.

II.  Emotional Literacy

a.  Teaches drivers to become aware of and to monitor their emotions and thoughts

     behind the wheel.

1.  Monitoring our thoughts behind the wheel is to learn information about

     oneself.

2.  Research shows we hold exaggerated beliefs about ourselves as drivers.

i.  When someone says otherwise, it creates conflict.

b.  A person without emotional literacy cant recognize aggression or feel personal

     responsibility for the incident and can lead others to injury which is threefold.

i.  Injury to their cars and bodies (physically)

           ii.  Injury to their mental state and happiness (psychologically)

          iii.  Contributing to social conflict and disunity (socially)

c.  Aggressive driver to supportive driver

i.  Must support community values over individualistic desires.

           ii.  Benefits both the individual and society

Related Links:

1.  http://www.apa.org/monitor/mar03/advances.html - Advances in Anger Management

     I chose this site because it talks about anger and ways to treat anger.

2.  http://www.conwyctc.fsnet.co.uk/pages/licence_to.htm - Emotional Literacy

     I chose this site because it talks about Emotional literacy.  It also talks about how drivers

     Education needs to teach how to become better drivers and not just how to pass the driving

     test. 

My Home Page:  http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leon/409as2006/sado/sado‑home.htm

G24 Class Home Page:  http://www.soc.hawaii.edu/leonj/leonj/leonpsy24/classhome-g24.htm