Open access
DRIVERS’ ANONYMITY AS THE PREDICTOR OF DANGEROUS BEHAVIOR IN TRAFFIC
Antoni WONTORCZYK1
Human Life –Transformations of Culture
Publication language: Polish
Journal article
Transformations No. 3-4 (70-71) 2011, Publication date: 17 October 2011
Abstract In the presented article the author discusses the problem of driver anonymity. In traffic and transport psychology there only exists one model explaing drivers anger based on the traditional de-individuation theory. The traditional de-individuation model has suggested that anonymity within a group leads to a de-individuated individual (i.e., someone immersed within the group) who feels less accountable and less self-aware and, consequently, is less inhibited by internalized norms and more willing to engage in behavior that the individual would not display in front of others. The literature review shows that researchers have not given attention to comparing the effects of anonymity on the safe behavior of drivers. Consistent with the social identity model of de-individuation effects, those who had exchanged personal profiles with their partners prior to the discussion were better able to differentiate between strong and weak arguments and were more likely to make conformity decisions based on the message content than those who had not. On the other hand, those who had no identity cues were more likely to factor in group identification for their conformity decisions. Which model of researching anonymity is better in explaining a driver’s aggression?
Pracownia Psychologii Transportu, Instytut Psychologii Stosowanej, Wydział Zarządzania i Komunikacji Społecznej Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego
E-mail: antoni.wontorczyk@uj.edu.pl