Validation of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) in a sample of professional drivers in Iran

Aggressive driving has emerged as one of the most studied behaviors in the traffic safety field, due to its association with the odds of motor vehicle crashes and especially fatal crashes. Previous research has investigated the situations which provoke anger while driving, as well as the emotional (...

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Main Authors: Seyed Iman Mohammadpour, Habibollah Nassiri, Mark J.M. Sullman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-10-01
Series:IATSS Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0386111222000310
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author Seyed Iman Mohammadpour
Habibollah Nassiri
Mark J.M. Sullman
author_facet Seyed Iman Mohammadpour
Habibollah Nassiri
Mark J.M. Sullman
author_sort Seyed Iman Mohammadpour
collection DOAJ
description Aggressive driving has emerged as one of the most studied behaviors in the traffic safety field, due to its association with the odds of motor vehicle crashes and especially fatal crashes. Previous research has investigated the situations which provoke anger while driving, as well as the emotional (anger) and behavioral (aggression) aspects of aggressive driving. However, surprisingly the cognitive aspects of aggressive driving have largely been neglected. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the short-forms of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) and the Driving Anger Expression Inventory (DAX) in a sample of professional drivers. Furthermore, the study aimed to investigate the mediation effects of aggressive thoughts, as the cognitive aspect of aggressive driving, on the relationship between traffic congestion and driving aggression. To this end, 613 public transport bus drivers completed the DATQ and DAX and were also asked to report the level of traffic congestion they normally faced in their daily driving, using six pictures. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the four factor DAX and the five factor DATQ, which largely replicated the original factors. The four forms of maladaptive thoughts on the road were positively associated with aggressive driving, while the positive factor (coping self-instruction) was negatively associated with aggressive driving and traffic violations. Moreover, the results indicated that traffic congestion does not contribute directly to anger expression on the road, but rather through aggressive thoughts. This study suggests that cognitive interventions may help to eliminate aggressive driving and its adverse outcomes on traffic safety.
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spelling doaj.art-227ca1209343407f902847f5886bb7112022-12-22T03:54:52ZengElsevierIATSS Research0386-11122022-10-01463370379Validation of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) in a sample of professional drivers in IranSeyed Iman Mohammadpour0Habibollah Nassiri1Mark J.M. Sullman2Civil Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology, IranCivil Engineering Department, Sharif University of Technology, Iran; Corresponding author.Department of Social Sciences, University of Nicosia, CyprusAggressive driving has emerged as one of the most studied behaviors in the traffic safety field, due to its association with the odds of motor vehicle crashes and especially fatal crashes. Previous research has investigated the situations which provoke anger while driving, as well as the emotional (anger) and behavioral (aggression) aspects of aggressive driving. However, surprisingly the cognitive aspects of aggressive driving have largely been neglected. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the short-forms of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) and the Driving Anger Expression Inventory (DAX) in a sample of professional drivers. Furthermore, the study aimed to investigate the mediation effects of aggressive thoughts, as the cognitive aspect of aggressive driving, on the relationship between traffic congestion and driving aggression. To this end, 613 public transport bus drivers completed the DATQ and DAX and were also asked to report the level of traffic congestion they normally faced in their daily driving, using six pictures. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) supported the four factor DAX and the five factor DATQ, which largely replicated the original factors. The four forms of maladaptive thoughts on the road were positively associated with aggressive driving, while the positive factor (coping self-instruction) was negatively associated with aggressive driving and traffic violations. Moreover, the results indicated that traffic congestion does not contribute directly to anger expression on the road, but rather through aggressive thoughts. This study suggests that cognitive interventions may help to eliminate aggressive driving and its adverse outcomes on traffic safety.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0386111222000310DAXAggressive drivingCognitionAggressive thinkingTraffic congestionSustainable transportation
spellingShingle Seyed Iman Mohammadpour
Habibollah Nassiri
Mark J.M. Sullman
Validation of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) in a sample of professional drivers in Iran
IATSS Research
DAX
Aggressive driving
Cognition
Aggressive thinking
Traffic congestion
Sustainable transportation
title Validation of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) in a sample of professional drivers in Iran
title_full Validation of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) in a sample of professional drivers in Iran
title_fullStr Validation of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) in a sample of professional drivers in Iran
title_full_unstemmed Validation of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) in a sample of professional drivers in Iran
title_short Validation of the Driver's Angry Thoughts Questionnaire (DATQ) in a sample of professional drivers in Iran
title_sort validation of the driver s angry thoughts questionnaire datq in a sample of professional drivers in iran
topic DAX
Aggressive driving
Cognition
Aggressive thinking
Traffic congestion
Sustainable transportation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0386111222000310
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