Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Social Psychology Dark Triad Psychopathy

Psychopaths behind the wheel are more likely to drive aggressively and commit traffic violations

by Laura Staloch
November 11, 2022
in Psychopathy

Enhance your understanding of the human mind and mental health trends by following PsyPost on MSN.
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology explored the connection between psychopathic traits, driving behavior, and anger expression while behind the wheel. The results revealed that individuals with psychopathic traits had higher rates of traffic violations and more aggressive driving behavior. In addition, those with lower levels of empathy, greater impulsiveness, and sensation-seeking were more likely to act out aggressively. Furthermore, those with psychopathic traits were less likely to engage in prosocial driving behavior.

Breaking traffic rules and driving aggressively can be dangerous. Those that habitually engage in rule-breaking aggressive behavior on the road are more likely to hurt themselves and others. Marion Karras of Université Paris Nanterre and colleagues were curious if there was a relationship between psychopathic traits, aggression while driving, and whether traffic violations are interrelated. They also associated specific elements of psychopathology and risky driving. These results could lead to developments in driving training and safety education.

The study focused on drivers from France convicted of driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, habitual speeding, or some other significant violation of traffic laws. As a result of their driving behavior, the 1,686 participants were enrolled in a court-ordered driver rehabilitation course. During their rehabilitation course, participants completed several assessments, including a self‐report psychopathy scale, empathy questionnaire, impulsive behavior scale, driving‐related sensation-seeking scale, driver behavior questionnaire, and driving aggression questionnaire. The data from these assessments were analyzed, searching for correlations between the variables in question.

Positive correlations were found between aggressive/risky driving and psychopathic traits. In other words, participants who scored higher in psychopathic traits reported more risky or aggressive driving. Those with psychopathic traits were also more likely to commit traffic violations, be angry while driving and more likely to turn that anger into aggression while driving. In addition, negative correlations were found between psychopathic traits, empathy, and self-control. This result indicates that as individuals score higher on measures of psychopathic traits, they will demonstrate less empathy and self-control.

Karras and colleagues state, “the present findings suggest that having elevated primary psychopathic traits as well as reduced empathic tendencies, high impulsiveness and high driving related sensation seeking, can increase driving offenders risk for dangerous driving outcomes.”

The cross-sectional design of this study prevents any claims of cause and effect. Future longitudinal research, or following the same people over many years, may make results more reliable. The research team recognizes that collecting self-report data from those with psychopathic traits like deceitfulness runs the risk of biased data. But previous research has found that psychopathic individuals are not likely to respond to social desirability. For this reason, Karras and the team have confidence in their data. Finally, the participants were 100% French, and in other cultures, there could be different motivations for risky or aggressive behavior.

This study provides clues to the origins of habitual risky or aggressive driving. In the future, this research may lead to structured training or rehabilitation programs to support drivers with tendencies toward risk or aggression.

The study, “Empathy, impulsiveness, and sensation seeking as mediators between primary psychopathic traits and driving behaviors in French driving offenders“, was authored by Marion Karras, Antonia Csillik, and Patricia Delhomme.

ShareTweetSendScanShareSharePin3Send

Thanks for reading! Click here to support PsyPost by becoming a paid subscriber. In an age where information is abundant but quality knowledge is scarce, PsyPost ensures that you stay updated on the most recent and relevant discoveries made in psychology and neuroscience.

STAY CONNECTED

TRENDING

New neuroscience research upends traditional theories of early language learning in babies

Female cat and dog owners tend to be slightly more involved with their families, potentially leading to better well-being, study finds

Autism and stress: A pivotal study highlights unique emotional challenges

Income boosts self-esteem more than vice versa, new study reveals

New study on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sheds light on public attitudes towards interracial relationships

Scientists raise the alarm about the growing trend of “soft” censorship of research

RECENT

New psychology research links the tendency to feel victimized to support for political violence

Prenatal exposure to air pollution may disrupt cognitive development of children, study finds

Neurobiological similarity and empathy both play crucial roles in interpersonal communication, study finds

New neuroscience research upends traditional theories of early language learning in babies

Liberal media outlets display a higher aversion to artificial intelligence than conservative media, study finds

Birth control pills and depression: Large study reveals new insights

Income boosts self-esteem more than vice versa, new study reveals

Autism and stress: A pivotal study highlights unique emotional challenges

  • Cognitive Science
  • COVID-19
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Drug Research
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Meditation
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Aviation Psychology and Human Factors
  • Relationships and Sexual Health
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Psychedelic Drugs
  • Dark Triad
  • Political Psychology
  • Contact us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

Manage your privacy
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Statistics

Marketing

Features
Always active

Always active
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Manage options
{title} {title} {title}
Manage your privacy

To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.

Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen.

Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Statistics

Marketing

Features
Always active

Always active
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
Manage options
{title} {title} {title}