The relationship between traffic congestion, driver stress and direct versus indirect coping behaviours

Drivers experiencing rush hour congestion were interviewed using cellular telephones to study stress and coping responses. Measures were taken of each driver's predisposition to stress (trait stress) as well as their reactions to the experience of either low or high traffic congestion (state stress). Two interviews were conducted during the trip when drivers experienced both low and high congestion conditions. Although state stress was greatest for all drivers experiencing the high congestion condition, a trait X situation interaction was obtained, indicating that stress levels were highest for high trait stress drivers experiencing the congested roadway. In terms of trait coping behaviours, participants indicated a preference for direct over indirect behaviours. A greater variety of direct and indirect behaviours were reported in high congestion. Reports of aggressive behaviours showed the greatest increase from low to high congestion. Comments on the use of cellular telephones in methodology are offered.

[1]  R. Lazarus.  Psychological stress and the coping process , 1970 .

[2]  I. Brown,et al.  Interference between concurrent tasks of driving and telephoning. , 1969, The Journal of applied psychology.

[3]  M L Selzer,et al.  Life events, subjective stress, and traffic accidents. , 1974, The American journal of psychiatry.

[4]  C. Turner,et al.  Naturalistic studies of aggressive behavior: aggressive stimuli, victim visibility, and horn honking. , 1975, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[5]  H. Selye,et al.  [Stress without distress]. , 1976, Bruxelles medical.

[6]  B. Moore,et al.  Effects of personal causation and perceived control on responses to an aversive environment: The more control, the better , 1977 .

[7]  T. Cox,et al.  An inventory for the measurement of self-reported stress and arousal. , 1978, The British journal of social and clinical psychology.

[8]  D. Stokols,et al.  Traffic congestion, type A behavior, and stress. , 1978, The Journal of applied psychology.

[9]  Joan M. Campbell,et al.  Transportation, Stress, and Community Psychology , 1979, American journal of community psychology.

[10]  Andrew Baum,et al.  Stress and the Environment , 1981 .

[11]  S. Thompson.  Will it hurt less if i can control it? A complex answer to a simple question. , 1981 .

[12]  Richard Wener,et al.  Improving Environmental Information , 1983 .

[13]  L. Cohen,et al.  Locus of control and control perceptions and the relationship between life stress and psychological disorder , 1983, American journal of community psychology.

[14]  B. Tabachnick,et al.  Using Multivariate Statistics , 1983 .

[15]  S. Folkman,et al.  Dynamics of a stressful encounter: cognitive appraisal, coping, and encounter outcomes. , 1986, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[16]  S. Folkman,et al.  [An analysis of coping in a middle-aged community sample]. , 1980, Kango kenkyu. The Japanese journal of nursing research.

[17]  R. Neufeld,et al.  Stress management during noxious medical procedures: an evaluative review of outcome studies. , 1988, Psychological bulletin.

[18]  C. Carver,et al.  Assessing coping strategies: a theoretically based approach. , 1989, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[19]  A. Ian Glendon,et al.  Coping with Driver Stress , 1989 .

[20]  G. Matthews,et al.  DIMENSIONS OF DRIVER STRESS , 1989 .

[21]  Daniel Stokols,et al.  Objective and subjective dimensions of travel impedance as determinants of commuting stress , 1990, American journal of community psychology.

[22]  A. Vingerhoets,et al.  Gender, coping and psychosomatic symptoms , 1990, Psychological Medicine.

[23]  K A Brookhuis,et al.  The effects of mobile telephoning on driving performance. , 1991, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[24]  G. Matthews,et al.  Personality correlates of driver stress , 1991 .

[25]  K. Nakano.  Coping strategies and psychological symptoms in a Japanese sample. , 1991, Journal of clinical psychology.

[26]  Lena Nilsson,et al.  EFFECTS OF MOBILE TELEPHONE USE ON ELDERLY DRIVERS' BEHAVIOUR INCLUDING COMPARISONS TO YOUNG DRIVERS' BEHAVIOUR , 1991 .

[27]  T. M. Flynn,et al.  Use of mobile phones in the behavioral treatment of driving phobias. , 1992, Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry.

[28]  A J McKnight,et al.  The effect of cellular phone use upon driver attention. , 1993, Accident; analysis and prevention.

[29]  Lisa Dorn,et al.  Reliability of the Driving Behaviour Inventory , 1993 .

[30]  R. Lazarus,et al.  Comparison of two modes of stress measurement: Daily hassles and uplifts versus major life events , 1981, Journal of Behavioral Medicine.