Print Email Facebook Twitter The effect of positive and negative emotions on young drivers Title The effect of positive and negative emotions on young drivers: A simulator study Author Eherenfreund-Hager, Ahinoam (Bar-Ilan University) Taubman – Ben-Ari, Orit (Bar-Ilan University) Toledo, Tomer (Technion) Farah, H. (TU Delft Transport and Planning) Date 2017-08-01 Abstract The study examined the influence of affect induction on actual risk-taking behavior in a driving simulator, as well as the links between personal variables (relevance of driving to self-esteem, sensation seeking) and the level of risky driving. Eighty young drivers aged 18–21 (M = 19.24, SD = 0.75) were randomly divided into four induction groups: relaxing positive affect; arousing positive affect; negative affect; and neutral affect. The participants drove on a simulator, with various parameters of risky driving measured before and after emotion priming. As predicted, arousing positive affect and negative affect led to increased risky driving, whereas relaxing positive affect moderated risk-taking. In addition, the results confirm previous findings regarding the personal variables, revealing that higher levels of relevance of driving to self-esteem and sensation seeking are associated with higher levels of risk-taking in the simulated driving. The findings indicate that the driver's emotional state has a significant effect on risk-taking on the road. Moreover, they show that the conventional use of negative affect in safe driving campaigns is liable to heighten the tendency for risky driving rather than reduce it. In contrast, relaxing positive affect was found to lead to lower risk-taking. The study is unique in revealing a correlation between results previously obtained for the willingness to drive recklessly and actual risky driving behavior observed on a driving simulator. By expanding the understanding of the motivations for youngsters’ risky driving, the study may aid in designing effective, theoretically sound, interventions aimed at reducing the tendency for dangerous driving among young drivers. Subject Positive affectRisky drivingYoung drivers To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:655e6b47-234d-4d70-be45-6e2b4801f9af DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2017.07.002 Embargo date 2019-07-20 ISSN 1369-8478 Source Transportation Research. Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 49, 236-243 Part of collection Institutional Repository Document type journal article Rights © 2017 Ahinoam Eherenfreund-Hager, Orit Taubman – Ben-Ari, Tomer Toledo, H. Farah Files PDF Simulator_PosAffect_rev18062017.pdf 665 KB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:655e6b47-234d-4d70-be45-6e2b4801f9af/datastream/OBJ/view