RESEARCH PAPER
Personal determinants of acceptance of drinking and driving among Polish drivers
1
Institute of Psychology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
Submission date: 2016-03-01
Final revision date: 2016-03-25
Acceptance date: 2016-03-25
Online publication date: 2016-05-05
Publication date: 2016-06-30
Current Issues in Personality Psychology 2016;4(2):75-86
KEYWORDS
attitudesvaluessensation-seekingDrinking and driving (DUI)sensation seekingdrinking and driving (DUI)
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background
The aim of the study was to explore a number of personal predictors that increase one’s approval of driving under the influence (DUI). In keeping with the previous studies, we assumed this approval will more often be expressed by unmarried young men with a lower level of education, who are additionally characterized by a higher need for stimulation, risk acceptance, sensation seeking, and a preference for hedonic values.
Participants and procedure
After examining more than 1000 drivers, we selected a group of 254 individuals (97 men, 157 women) who formed our study group. In our survey, these drivers admitted to driving while intoxicated in the past, but at the same time declared that small doses of alcohol did not limit their driving skills. We used a set of research tools in order to verify the assumptions. The following tools measured temperamental and personality variables: Formal Characteristics of Behavior-Temperament Inventory, Risk Acceptance Scale, Stimulating-Instrumental Risk Inventory, Scheler Value Scale, Rotter’s Locus of Control Scale, and Zuckerman’s Sensation Seeking Scale.
Results
Driving under the influence of alcohol is most often approved of by unmarried men who have a higher level of education and are characterized by low levels of sensory sensitivity, low levels of emotional reactivity, an internal locus of control, a high need for risks, high sensation-seeking tendencies, and who prefer vital and aesthetic values.
Conclusions
It is well justified to examine personal predictors of various dangerous road behaviors, such as driving under the influence of intoxicating substances. These studies could aid both creating effective social prevention programs and conducting psychological screening tests.
The aim of the study was to explore a number of personal predictors that increase one’s approval of driving under the influence (DUI). In keeping with the previous studies, we assumed this approval will more often be expressed by unmarried young men with a lower level of education, who are additionally characterized by a higher need for stimulation, risk acceptance, sensation seeking, and a preference for hedonic values.
Participants and procedure
After examining more than 1000 drivers, we selected a group of 254 individuals (97 men, 157 women) who formed our study group. In our survey, these drivers admitted to driving while intoxicated in the past, but at the same time declared that small doses of alcohol did not limit their driving skills. We used a set of research tools in order to verify the assumptions. The following tools measured temperamental and personality variables: Formal Characteristics of Behavior-Temperament Inventory, Risk Acceptance Scale, Stimulating-Instrumental Risk Inventory, Scheler Value Scale, Rotter’s Locus of Control Scale, and Zuckerman’s Sensation Seeking Scale.
Results
Driving under the influence of alcohol is most often approved of by unmarried men who have a higher level of education and are characterized by low levels of sensory sensitivity, low levels of emotional reactivity, an internal locus of control, a high need for risks, high sensation-seeking tendencies, and who prefer vital and aesthetic values.
Conclusions
It is well justified to examine personal predictors of various dangerous road behaviors, such as driving under the influence of intoxicating substances. These studies could aid both creating effective social prevention programs and conducting psychological screening tests.
REFERENCES (71)
1.
Arnett, J. (1990). Drunk driving, sensation seeking, and egocentrism among adolescents. Personality & Individual Differences, 11, 541–546.
2.
Aberg, L. (1993). Drinking and driving: intentions, attitudes, and social norms of Swedish male drivers. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 25, 289–296.
3.
Baran-Furga, H., & Steinbarth-Chmielewska, K. (2010). Zespoły uzależnień od substancji psychoaktywnych [Psychoactive substances dependence syndromes]. In P. Jabłoński & J. C. Czabała (eds.), Uzależnienie od narkotyków. Podręcznik dla terapeutów [Drug addiction. A therapist’s manual] (pp. 51–72). Krajowe Biuro do Spraw Przeciwdziałania Narkomanii.
4.
Beirness, D. J. (1993). Do we really drive as we live? The role of personality factors in road crashes. Alcohol, Drugs and Driving, 9, 129–143.
5.
Beirness, D. J., & Simpson, H. M. (1988). Lifestyle correlates of risky driving and accident involvement among youth. Alcohol, Drugs and Driving, 4, 193–204.
6.
Bennett, P., Norman, P., Murphy, S., Moore, L., & Tudor-Smith, C. (1998). Beliefs about alcohol, health locus of control, value for health and reported consumption in a representative population sample. Health Education Research – Theory & Practice, 13, 25–32.
7.
Blomberg, R. D., Peck, R. C., Moskowitz, H., Burns, M., & Fiorentino, D. (2005). Crash risk of alcohol involved driving: A case-control study. Stanford, CT: Dunlap & Associates, Inc.
8.
Brzozowski, P. (1995). Skala Wartości Schelerowskich – SWS [The Scheler Value Scale – SVS]. Warszawa: Pracownia Testów Psychologicznych PTP.
9.
Chang, L., Lin, D., Huang, C., & Chang K. (2013). Analysis of contributory factors for driving under the influence of alcohol: A stated choice approach. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 18, 11–20.
10.
Chodkiewicz, J. (2014). Determinants of personality in the scope of motivation for maintaining abstinence in the case of male alcohol-dependent individuals concluding therapy. Current Issues in Personality Psychology, 2, 217–227.
11.
Campos, V. R., de Souza e Silva, R., Duailibi, S., dos Santos, J. F., Laranjeira, R., & Pinsky, I. (2013). The effect of the new traffic law on drinking and driving in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 50, 622–627.
12.
Dahlen, E. R., & White, R. P. (2006). The Big Five factors, sensation seeking, and driving anger in the prediction of unsafe driving. Personality and Individual Differences, 41, 903–915.
13.
Delhomme, P., Chaurand, N., & Paran, F. (2012). Personality predictors of speeding in young drivers: Anger vs. sensation seeking. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 15, 654–666.
14.
Donmez, B., Boyle, L., & Lee, J. (2010). Differences in off-road glances: effects on young drivers’ performance. Journal of Transportation Engineering, 136, 403–409.
15.
Dykas, J., & Terelak, J. F. (2014). Temperamental traits and styles of coping stress in motorcyclists. The Polish Journal of Aviation Medicine and Psychology, 20, 11–18.
16.
Farnicka, M. A., & Grzegorzewska, I. (2015). Intrapersonal correlates of aggression in adolescents: determinants of adopting the role of the perpetrator and the victim. Current Issues in Personality Psychology, 3, 25–35.
17.
Fernandes, R., & Hatfield, J. (2006). Examination of different predictors of different risky driving behaviours in young NSW drivers. Final Report for the Motor Accidents Authority of NSW. NSW Injury Risk Management Research Centre University of NSW, Building G2, Western Campus Drive, Western Campus, Sydney 2052 NSW, Australia.
18.
Fernandes, R., Hatfield, J., & Soames, J. R. F. (2010). A systematic investigation of the differential predictors for speeding, drink-driving, driving while fatigued, and not wearing a seat belt, among young drivers. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 13, 179–196.
19.
Freeman, J., Liossis, P., Schonfeld, C., Sheehan, M., Siskind, V., & Watson, B. (2006) The self-reported impact of legal and non-legal sanctions on a group of recidivist drink drivers. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 9, 53–64.
20.
Garrity, R., & Demick, J. (2001). Relations among personality traits, mood states, and driving behaviors. Journal of Adult Development, 8, 109–118.
21.
Greenberg, M. D., Morral, A. R., & Jain, A. K. (2005). Drinking-driving and DUI recidivists’ attitudes and beliefs: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 66, 640–647.
22.
Greening, L., & Stoppelbein, L. (2000). Young drivers’ health attitudes and intentions to drink and drive. Journal of Adolescent Health, 27, 94–101.
23.
Grzegorzewska, I. (2013). Individual predispositions and positive adaptation of children of alcoholics. Current Issues in Personality Psychology, 1, 11–25.
24.
Gulliver, P., & Begg, D. (2004). Influences during adolescence on perceptions and behaviour related to alcohol use and unsafe driving as young adults. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 36, 773–781.
25.
Gusfield, J. (1985). Social and cultural contexts of the drinking event. Journal of Studies in Alcohol, Suppl 10, 70–77.
26.
Haglund, M., & Åberg, L. Young people, drinking habits, transportation and peer relations. A questionnaire study. 14th ICTCT workshop. Retrieved 15 April 2011 from www.ictct.org/dlObject.php?document_nr=236&/Aberg.pdf; 2001.
27.
Havâneanu, G. M., & Havâneanu, C. E. (2012). When norms turn perverse: Contextual irrationality vs. rational traffic violations. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 15, 144–151.
28.
Holubowycz, O., & McLean, J. (1995). Demographic characteristics, drinking patterns and drink driving behaviour of injured male drivers and motorcycle riders. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 56, 513–521.
29.
Howat, P., Sleet, D., & Smith, I. (1991). Alcohol and driving: is the 0.05% blood alcohol concentration limit justified? Drug and Alcohol Review, 10, 151–166.
30.
Jonah, B. A. (1986). Accident risk and risk-taking behaviour among young drivers. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 18, 255–271.
31.
Jonah, B. A. (1997). Sensation seeking and risky driving: A review and synthesis of the literature. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 29, 651–665.
32.
Jonah, B. A., Thiessen, R., & Au-Yeung, E. (2001). Sensation seeking, risky driving and behavioral adaptation. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 33, 679–684.
33.
Kolańczyk, A. (1991). Intuicyjność procesów przetwarzania informacji [Intuitive aspects of information-processing functions]. Gdańsk: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego.
34.
Laurence, M., Snortum, J., & Zimring, F. (eds.) (1988). Social Control of the Drinking Driver. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
35.
Lewis, I., Watson, B., & Tay, R. (2007). Examining the effectiveness of physical threats in road safety advertising: The role of the third-person effect, gender, and age. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 10, 48–60.
36.
Lipowski, M., Szulc, M., & Buliński, L. (2015). Physical activity among other health-related behaviors in treatment of alcoholism. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 55, 1–2.
37.
Lucchetti, G., Koenig, H. G., Pinsky, I., Laranjeira, R., & Vallada H. (2014). Religious beliefs and alcohol control policies: a Brazilian nationwide study. Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 36, 4–10.
38.
Macdonald, S., & Dooley, S. (1993). A case-control study of driving-while-impaired offenders. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 33, 61–71.
39.
Majchrowska, A. (2000). Zdrowie jako wartość [Health as a value]. In I. Taranowicz, A. Maj-.
40.
chrowska, & Z. Kawczyńska-Butrym (eds.), Elementy socjologii dla pielęgniarek [Basic sociology for nurses] (pp. 123–141). Lublin: Czelej.
41.
Makarowski, R. (2007). Jakie emocje występują podczas pierwszego w życiu lotu szybowcem oraz pierwszego w życiu skoku ze spadochronem? [What sort of emotions do we experience during our first glider flight and our first parachute jump?]. Medycyna Sportowa, 5, 279–284.
42.
Makarowski, R. (2008). Granice ryzyka. Paradygmat psychologiczny [Risk limits. A psychological paradigm]. Cracow: Oficyna Wydawnicza Impuls.
43.
Makarowski, R., Peplinska, A., & Nowopolski, M. (2010). Psychological aspects of risk and aggression among motorcyclist – “Mad Max” syndrome. Polish Psychological Bulletin, 41, 74–83.
44.
Mellibruda, J. (2008). Psychologiczna problematyka uzależnień od alkoholu i narkotyków. Psychopatologia zjawisk społecznych [Psychological aspects of alcohol and drug dependence. Psychopathology of social phenomena]. In J. Strelau (ed.), Psychologia (tom 3) [Psychology (Vol. 3)] (pp. 691–710). Gdańsk: GWP.
45.
Miklewska, A., & Miklewska, A. (2000). Związek temperamentu z zachowaniami agresywnymi i zagrożeniem uzależnieniem od alkoholu w świetle regulacyj-.
46.
nej teorii temperamentu J. Strelaua: Sprawozdanie z badań [Temperament vis-a-vis aggressive behavior and alcohol abuse in the light of J. Strelau’s Regulative Theory of Temperament. A research report]. Przegląd Psychologiczny, 43, 173–190.
47.
Nolan, Y., Johnson, J. A., & Pincus, A. L. (1994). Personality and Drunk Driving: Identification of DUI Types Using the Hogan Personality Inventory. Psychological Assessment, 6, 33–40.
48.
Norman, P., Bennett, P., Smith, C., & Murphy, S. (1998). Health locus of control and health behaviour. Journal of Health Psychology, 3, 171–180.
49.
Odachowska, E. (2012). Temperament a skłonność do zachowań ryzykownych w ruchu drogowym [Temperamental conditioning of hazardous behawior based on the analysis of drivers]. Transport Samochodowy, 1, 35–51.
50.
Oleszkiewicz-Zsurz, Z. (1985). Adaptacja skali poszukiwania wrażeń (SSS) M. Zuckermana do warunków polskich [Adaptation of Zuckerman’s Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS) to Polish conditions]. Przegląd Psychologiczny, 28, 1123–1128.
51.
Peck, R., Gebers, M. A., Voas, R. B., & Romano, E. (2008). The relationship between blood alcohol concentration (BAC), age, and crash risk. Journal of Safety Research, 39, 311–319.
52.
Peplińska, A., Wyszomirska-Góra, M., Połomski, P., & Szulc, M. (2015). Who is a dangerous driver? Socio-demographic and personal determinants of risky traffic behavior. Current Issues in Personality Psychology, 3, 149–158.
53.
Radun, I., Summala, H., & Radun, J. E. (2009). Drinking and driving “safely”: Who uses a breathalyzer and when? Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 12, 155–158.
54.
Seccombe, K., & Ishii-Kuntz, M. (1994). Gender and social relationships among the never-married. Sex Roles, 30, 585–603.
55.
Sheehan, M. (1994). Alcohol Controls and Drink Driving: the Social Context. Federal Office of Road Safety Monograph CR 142. Canberra: AGPS.
56.
Schechtman, E., Shinar, D., & Compton, R. C. (1999). The relationship between drinking habits and safe driving behaviors. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 2, 15–26.
57.
Shinar, D., Schechtman, E., & Compton, R. (2001). Self-reports of safe driving behaviors in relationship to sex, age, education and income in the US adult driving population. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 33, 111–116.
58.
Schwartz, J. (2008). Gender differences in drunk driving prevalence rates and trends: A 20-year assessment using multiple sources of evidence. Addictive Behaviors, 33, 1217–1222.
59.
Sosnowski, T., & Wiech, M. (2006) Przesądność i próba jej pomiaru: Kwestionariusz Orientacji Przekonań (KOP20) [Superstition and its measurement: Development of the Questionnaire of Belief Openness]. Roczniki Psychologiczne, 11, 181–204.
60.
Steptoe, A., Gardner, B., & Wardle, J. (2010). The role of behaviour in health. In D. French, A. Kaptein, K. Vedhara, & J. Weinman (eds.), Health Psychology (pp. 12–32). Oxford: Blackwell.
61.
Strelau, J. (2006). Temperament jako regulator zachowania. Z perspektywy półwiecza badań [Temperament as a regulator of behavior: After fifty years of research]. Warszawa: GWP.
62.
Symon, E. (2015). Wypadki drogowe w Polsce w 2014 roku [Road accidents in Poland (2014)]. Wydział Ruchu Drogowego Biura Prewencji i Ruchu Drogowego Komendy Głównej Policji. http://statystyka.policja.pl/s....
63.
Turrisi, R., & Jaccard, J. (1992). Cognitive and attitudinal factors in the analysis of alternatives to drunk driving. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 53, 405–414.
64.
Voas, R. B., Torres, P., Romano, E., & Lacey, J. H. (2012). Alcohol – related risk of driver fatalities: an update using 2007 data. Journal Studies of Alcohol and Drugs, 73, 341–350.
65.
Watling, C. N., & Freeman, J. (2011). Exploring the theoretical underpinnings of driving whilst influenced by illicit substances. Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 14, 567–578.
66.
Wontorczyk, A. (2011). Niebezpieczne zachowanie kierowców. Psychologiczny model regulacji zacho-.
67.
wań w ruchu drogowym [Dangerous behaviors in drivers. Psychological model of the regulation of behaviors in the road traffic]. Cracow: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego.
68.
Wytkowska, A. M. (2003). Temperament a poznawczo-behawioralny styl funkcjonowania jednostki [Temperament and cognitive-behavioral style of personal activity]. Acta Universitatis Lodziensis, Folia Psychologica, 7, 87–97.
69.
Zador, P., Krawchuk, S., & Voas, R. (2000). Alcohol-related relative risk of driver fatalities and driver involvement in fatal crashes in relation to driver age and gender. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 61, 387−395.
70.
Zawadzki, B., & Strelau, J. (2010). Structure of personality: Search for a general factor viewed from a temperament perspective. Personality and Indyvidual Diffrences, 49, 77–82.
71.
Zuckerman, M. (1994). Behavioral expressions and biosocial bases of sensation seeking. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Copyright: © Institute of Psychology, University of Gdansk This is an Open Access journal, all articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/), allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license.
Share
RELATED ARTICLE
| eISSN: | 2353-561X |
| ISSN: | 2353-4192 |
We process personal data collected when visiting the website. The function of obtaining information about users and their behavior is carried out by voluntarily entered information in forms and saving cookies in end devices. Data, including cookies, are used to provide services, improve the user experience and to analyze the traffic in accordance with the Privacy policy. Data are also collected and processed by Google Analytics tool (more).
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
You can change cookies settings in your browser. Restricted use of cookies in the browser configuration may affect some functionalities of the website.
