Differential moderating effect of locus of control on effect of driving experience in young male and female drivers

Holland, Carol; Geraghty, Jennifer; Shah, Kruti · 2010 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2010.02.003

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Summary

This study investigates the complex interactions between gender, locus of control (LOC), and driving experience in shaping the driving styles of young drivers (aged 18–29). Motivated by the disproportionate involvement of young males in traffic accidents and contradictory findings in previous literature regarding LOC’s impact on safety, the research aims to determine how these factors jointly influence driving behavior. The authors hypothesize that gender differences in accident rates may stem from differing interactions between personality traits and experience, rather than simple demographic disparities. The researchers employed a cross-sectional design involving 222 participants (122 women and 100 men) with valid driving licenses. Data were collected using the Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI) to assess eight distinct driving styles (e.g., risky, anxious, careful) and Rotter’s general LOC scale to measure internal versus external control beliefs. Driving experience was quantified by duration (months) and amount (hours per week). Statistical analyses included two-way ANOVAs to examine gender and LOC differences, and correlation analyses to assess the impact of experience, with partial correlations used to control for LOC effects. Results revealed significant gender differences: men scored higher on risky, angry, and high-velocity styles, while women scored higher on dissociative, anxious, and patient styles. Women also exhibited a more external LOC than men. Generally, increased driving experience reduced stress-related styles (anxious, dissociative) but increased high-velocity driving. Crucially, LOC moderated the effect of experience differently by gender. When controlling for LOC, increased driving experience improved men’s carefulness and reduced their angry and high-velocity styles. Conversely, for women, controlling for LOC revealed that increased experience exacerbated angry and high-velocity styles while reducing carefulness. The study suggests that young men’s high internal LOC negatively interferes with the beneficial effects of experience, whereas women’s external LOC suppresses the negative impacts of experience on anger. The findings imply that accident causality differs by gender, with men prone to risky behaviors and women to stress-related errors. The study highlights that high internal LOC in young men may hinder the development of safer driving habits despite increased experience, suggesting that interventions should target beliefs about control. Conversely, the external LOC of young women may protect against the development of angry driving styles as experience grows. These insights provide a basis for tailored driver training and counter-measures that address specific personality-experience interactions to reduce accident risk in young drivers.

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Topics

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• sex gender
• novice drivers
• personality driving
• sensation seeking
• cultural cross national
• generational effects

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• Theoretical Contribution: theory or model, computational model