Myself, the Car: Aggressive Driving Linked to Personality

Those who view their car as an extension of themselves have stronger aggressive driving tendencies, a new study finds.

The study “Aggressive Driving: A Consumption Experience,” by a Temple University Fox School of Business professor, is thought to be the first to comprehensively examine how personality, attitude and values contribute to aggressive driving.

Driving is one of the most common consumptive behaviors, and aggressive driving causes a third of all accidents that involve personal injuries and two thirds of all fatal accidents in the United States.

“It explains much of the phenomenon we knew existed,” said Ayalla Ruvio, lead author and an assistant professor of marketing at the Philadelphia university. For instance, “we know men tend to be more aggressive drivers and we know men tend to see their cars as an extension of themselves more than women.”

Ruvio’s article in the Journal of Psychology & Marketing features two studies: a holistic look at personality, attitudes and values gathered from 134 surveys of men and women average age 23.5; a study of 298 people built from the first and added risk attraction, impulsivity, driving as a hedonistic activity and perceptions about time pressures.

The studies found:

• People who perceive their car as a reflection of their self-identity are more likely to behave aggressively and break the law.
• Compulsive people are more likely to drive aggressively and disregard consequences.
• Increased materialism is linked to increased aggressive driving tendencies.
• Young people feel the need to show off their car and driving skills, and underestimate reckless driving risks.
• Those who admit to aggressive driving also admit to breaking the law more.

Ruvio said the implications of the study are evident in cultural contexts: the “soccer-mom” stigma of minivans, the Thelma and Louise personas, and songs like Shania Twain’s “You Don’t Impress Me Much,” with its line, “I can’t believe you kiss your car goodnight.”

Topics Auto Personal Auto