Mindfulness Based Cognitive Group Therapy vs Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy as a Treatment for Driving Anger and Aggression in Iranian Taxi Drivers

Kazemeini, Toktam; Ghanbari-e-Hashem-Abadi, Bahramali A.; Safarzadeh, Asieh · 2013 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.4236/psych.2013.48091

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Summary

This study investigates the comparative effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Group Therapy (MBCGT) and Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy (CBGT) in reducing driving anger and aggression among Iranian taxi drivers. Motivated by the high prevalence of aggressive driving behaviors and the lack of direct comparisons between these two therapeutic approaches in existing literature, the research aimed to determine which intervention more effectively mitigates driving-related anger and improves anger expression strategies. The study employed a randomized experimental design with pretest, posttest, and one-month follow-up assessments. The sample consisted of 20 male taxi drivers from Mashhad, Iran, selected via accessible sampling and screened for absence of thought disorders or drug abuse. Participants were randomly assigned to either the MBCGT group or the CBGT group, with 10 participants in each. Both interventions lasted six weeks, consisting of one two-hour session per week. The MBCGT protocol included mindfulness exercises such as body scans, sitting meditation, and breathing space techniques, alongside psychoeducation on non-judgmental awareness. The CBGT protocol focused on cognitive restructuring, identifying automatic thoughts, and behavioral strategies. Data were collected using the Driving Anger Scale (DAS) and the Driving Anger Expression Inventory (DAX), which measured driving anger frequency, aggressive expression, and adaptive/constructive expression. Statistical analyses included Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) to control for pretest scores. The results indicated that MBCGT was significantly more effective than CBGT in reducing driving anger and aggressive expression while increasing adaptive/constructive expression. ANCOVA revealed significant differences between groups in posttest and follow-up driving anger scores, with MBCGT showing greater reduction. MANCOVA results demonstrated that MBCGT led to significantly higher improvements in adaptive/constructive expression of anger at both posttest and follow-up stages compared to CBGT. Additionally, MBCGT produced a significantly greater reduction in aggressive expression of driving anger at follow-up. Effect sizes indicated that group membership accounted for substantial variance in outcomes, particularly for adaptive expression improvements. The findings suggest that MBCGT is a superior intervention for managing driving anger and aggression compared to traditional CBGT. The authors attribute this superiority to the holistic nature of mindfulness, which addresses emotional beliefs and changes the individual’s relationship with thoughts rather than merely restructuring cognitive content. The study highlights the clinical importance of mindfulness-based approaches in behavioral interventions for driving-related issues and recommends further research with larger samples, longer follow-up periods, and multi-method assessment tools to validate these results.

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• anger road rage