The Effect of Communicational Signals on Drivers’ Emotion States

Ba, Yutao; Zhang, Wei; Salvendy, Gavriel · 2021 · Crossref

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe100659

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Summary

This study investigates how vehicle communicational signals (e.g., turn signals, hazard lights, horns) influence drivers’ emotional states and attitudes, specifically examining the moderating role of personality traits. The research is motivated by the understanding that negative emotions impair driving decision-making and safety, while effective interpersonal communication via signals can reduce on-road conflicts. The authors aim to clarify the mechanism linking personality to emotional responses during signal communication by analyzing decoded meanings, attitudes, and emotions. The methodology involved 20 male drivers with at least three years of experience, who participated in a fixed-base driving simulator experiment. Participants viewed eight interactive driving scenarios, each presented in paired conditions: one with signal use and one without. Personality traits were measured using the NEO inventory, focusing on extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Emotional states were assessed using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) across pleasure, arousal, and dominance dimensions. Attitudes toward the signaling vehicle were measured using a semantic differential scale, and decoded meanings of signals were rated across seven dimensions, including intention, etiquette, and displeasure. Participants were divided into high- and low-score personality groups based on median splits of extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. Results indicated that communicational signals significantly improved drivers’ pleasure and attitude in seven of the eight scenarios, though a horn used aggressively (Scenario 8) decreased pleasure and attitude. Signals consistently increased emotional arousal. Personality traits significantly moderated these effects: drivers with higher extraversion and agreeableness and lower neuroticism (high-score group) exhibited more positive emotional and attitudinal changes than the low-score group. Specifically, the high-score group showed greater pleasure increases and was less negatively affected by aggressive horn usage. Correlation analysis revealed that attitude was strongly linked to pleasure. Furthermore, decoding signals as "etiquette" or "demonstration" correlated with positive emotions, while decoding them as "order" or "displeasure" correlated with negative attitudes. Drivers with favorable personality traits were more likely to perceive signals as etiquette. The study concludes that appropriate signal communication effectively enhances drivers’ emotional states and attitudes, thereby potentially improving driving safety. However, this effect is contingent on personality; drivers with lower extraversion and agreeableness and higher neuroticism are more susceptible to negative emotional reactions from aggressive signals. The findings suggest that promoting genial communication and understanding the role of personality in signal interpretation can help mitigate road rage and risky driving behaviors.

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• affect mood
• anger road rage
• signaling behavior
• personality driving

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• Empirical Findings: physiological data