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A Social-Cognitive Model of Driver Aggression: Taking Situations and Individual Differences into Account

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Abstract

Aggressive driving is a phenomenon that has taken on tremendous significance in society. While the issue has been studied from perspectives of several disciplines, relatively few comprehensive empirical investigations have been conducted. This may be due, at least in part, to a scarcity of comprehensive theoretical works in the field, from which methodical research hypotheses could be derived. This paper reviews major extant theories of general aggression to offer a rationale for choosing a particular framework to apply to the topic of aggressive driving. The social-cognitive model of aggressive driving is recommended, as it takes into account wide-ranging cognitive, situational, and dispositional factors. Implications for future research are also considered.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, East Tennessee State University, POB 70649, Johnson City, TN, 37614-1702, USA

    Chris S. Dula

  2. Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA

    E. Scott Geller

  3. Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA

    Frances L. Chumney

Authors
  1. Chris S. Dula
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  2. E. Scott Geller
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  3. Frances L. Chumney
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Correspondence to Chris S. Dula.

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Dula, C.S., Geller, E.S. & Chumney, F.L. A Social-Cognitive Model of Driver Aggression: Taking Situations and Individual Differences into Account. Curr Psychol 30, 324–334 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-011-9120-3

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