The influence of just-world beliefs on driving anger and aggressive driving intentions.
Decades of research demonstrate that the extent to which one believes the world is just can have important interpersonal consequences. Unfortunately, most of the commonly studied consequences are negative in nature. Guided by previous research demonstrating the buffering effect of just-world beliefs and anger, the present research explores how belief in a just world (BJW) may mitigate anger in the domain of driving anger and examines the limiting conditions of this effect. Study 1 demonstrated the expected negative relation between common measures of BJW and anger expression in a driving context. Study 2 found that the buffering effects of just-world beliefs and driver aggression were greater when BJW was violated (vs. not). Study 3 replicated the effects on aggression and anger and established a mediational role of anger on the buffering effects of just-world beliefs on thoughts and driver aggression.
Department of Psychology, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa, USA. sunde.nesbit@uni.edu
Sundé M
SM
Nesbit
Kevin L
KL
Blankenship
Renee A
RA
Murray
D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D000786:Anger / Q000502:physiology*; D001290:Attitude; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D019260:Expressed Emotion / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011581:Psychological Tests