robert b. isler and samantha a. newland school of psychology university of waikato the link between...

Robert B. Isler and Samantha A. Newland

School of PsychologyUniversity of Waikato

The link between Happiness and Safe Driving Behaviour

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People drive the way they live.

Video

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Driver violations intentions predict risky driving behaviour leading to crashes. to crashes:Driver Behaviour Questionnaire:In the future how often would you expect to do each of the following?Never - 0 Certain - 4 1. Speed over the legal limit2. Be angry about a bad driver3. Deliberately violate a road rule4. Cut off other drivers5. … etc.,

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People drive the way they live.

Mental Languishing Moderate Flourishing Disorder Mental Health

Mental Health

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Are flourishing people low-risk drivers?

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Three Orientations to Happinessand Life Satisfaction

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First Pathway to Happiness:Pleasure

PLEASURE:Hedonic definition of well-being: More experienced pleasure is equivalentto higher well-being.e.g.,- Life is too short to postpone the pleasure it can provide- I go out of my way to feel euphoric

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Second Pathway to Happiness: Meaning

MEANING:Finding meaning in one’s life is an important determinant of psychological well-being. e.g., - I have a responsibility to make the world a better place- What I do matters to the society

1 = Strongly disagree ……. 5 = Strongly agree

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Third Pathway to Happiness:Engagement

ENGAGEMENT:Well-being through engaging in activities that are engrossing and absorbing- creating flow feelings.e.g., - I am always very absorbed in what I do- Regardless what I am doing, time passes quickly.

1 = Strongly disagree ……. 5 = Strongly agree

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Questionnaire

1. Demographics: Age, Gender, Licence type, Mileage2. Driving History: Fines, Near Misses and Crashes (Incidences) 3. Driver Behaviour Questionnaire: Driver Violations Intentions (20 Questions)4. Three Dimensions of Well-being: Pleasure, Engagement, Meaning (18 Questions)

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Sample

- 160 first, second and third year students- Age range: 17 - 48 years; Mean: 24 years- 17-25 years (N=140); >25 years (N=20) - 116 females, 44 males

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Incidences and mileage, by Groups

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Pleasure, Meaning and Engagement, by Groups

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r = -0.6719, p < 0.01, R2 = 0.45

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r = -0.5850, p < 0.01, R2 = 0.34

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r = 0.3163, p < 0.01, R2 = 0.1

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r = -0.532, p < 0.01, R2 = 0.28

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People engage in maladaptive coping strategiesin order to cope with psychological issues -by doing too much of something – or not enough e.g.,:

Starving ---------- IndulgingDriving too slowly ---------- Driving too fastInsomnia (Fatigue) ---------- OversleepingProcrastination ---------- WorkaholicAbstinence ---------- Drink-DrivingBored ---------- Stress

Maladaptive coping strategies

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• The happiness dimensions of meaning and engagement strongly relate to low-risk driving behaviour

• The happiness dimension of pleasure may predict risky driving - possibly relating to sensation and thrill seeking

Conclusions

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