The influence of anger,impulsivity, sensation seeking and driver attitudes on risky driving behaviour among post-graduate university students in Durban,South Africa

Introduction

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) constitute a serious global health risk, and evidence suggests that young drivers are significantly overrepresented among those injured or killed in RTAs. This study explores the role of anger, impulsivity, sensation seeking and driver attitudes as correlates for risky driving practices among drivers, drawing comparisons between age and gender.

Method

The study used a cross-sectional survey design, with a sample of 306 post-graduate university students from two universities in Durban, South Africa, who completed the self-administered questionnaire.

Results

The results indicate that drivers with higher driver anger, sensation seeking, urgency, and with a lack of premeditation and perseverance in daily activities were statistically more likely to report riskier driving acts. Males reported significantly more acts of risky driving behaviour (RDB) than females. Driver attitudes significantly predicted self-reported acts of RDB on most indicators. Older drivers (25 years and older) had safer driver attitudes and a lower sense of sensation seeking and urgency in life.

Conclusion

Interventions targeting young drivers, which focus on impeding the manifestation of anger, impulsivity and sensation seeking are recommended. Also, the empirical support for the attitude–behaviour hypothesis evidenced in this study vindicates the development or continuation of interventions that focus on this dynamic.     

A network perspective on the relationship between gaming disorder,depression, alexithymia,boredom, and loneliness among a sample of Chinese university students

Background and aimsBased on previous research, it was hypothesized that negative affect (e.g., depression, anxiety, and loneliness) and low level of emotion regulation (i.e., alexithymia) are risk factors for internet gaming disorder (IGD). Research utilizing a network analysis approach to psychopathology has increased rapidly, and is used to examine the pattern of interactions between causal factors of mental health disorders. Previous research has investigated the relationship between gaming disorder (GD), depression, alexithymia, boredom, and loneliness by pair-wise correlation and correlation of three or four variables. However, to date, network analysis has rarely been utilized to examine the relationship between the aforementioned multi-variables. Therefore, the present study used network analysis to examine the relationship between GD, depression, alexithymia, boredom, and loneliness among a sample of Chinese university students.MethodsA sample comprising 1635 Chinese university students (913 males) completed a survey including the Gaming Disorder Test, Patient Health Questionnaire, and Toronto Alexithymia Scale, alongside single-item measures of loneliness and boredom.ResultsDepression, alexithymia, boredom, and loneliness were significantly and positively associated with GD. Loneliness and boredom had the closest edge intensity, and loneliness was the strongest central node in the domain-level network. The facet-level and the item-level network analysis also showed that GD was connected with depression, alexithymia, boredom, and loneliness. The domain-level network comparison test (NCT) showed the global strengths had significant difference among gender group (males = 1.90 vs. females = 1.77, p = 0.013).ConclusionsThe findings indicate that there is a close relationship between GD, depression, alexithymia, boredom, and loneliness. Negative affect and low emotion regulation may induce or worsen GD, resulting in a vicious cycle. Practitioners developing interventions to overcome GD should consider aspects aimed at adjusting and improving negative emotion, especially loneliness and related negative affect as well as facilitating positive emotion.