Seven types of driver identified by psychologists
A TEAM of social psychologists from the London School of Economics has found seven different driving personalities, based on how drivers deal with their own feelings and their uncertainty about the behaviour of other motorists and road users.
Psychologists different types of driver including the punisher
The result of an ongoing study on the social psychology of road safety, conducted by the LSE and tyre manufacturer Goodyear, these personalities have been identified from a combination of focus groups and detailed interviews with drivers across Europe.
The seven personalities are:
• The Teacher. This driver feels the need to ensure others know what they have done wrong – and expects to be recognised for their efforts.
• The Know-it-all. They think that they’re surrounded by incompetent fools, so shout condescendingly at other drivers while safely cocooned in their own car.
• The Competitor. They need to get ahead of other road users and become annoyed when someone gets in their way. They often accelerate when someone tries to overtake them or close a gap to prevent anyone from getting in front of them.
• The Punisher. These motorists want to punish other drivers for any perceived transgressions – and sometimes even get out of their car or approach other drivers to remonstrate with them.
• The Philosopher. They accept the actions of other drivers easily and try to rationally explain them away. They also manage to control their feelings in the car.
• The Avoider. They consider the misbehavior of other drivers impersonally and merely dismiss them as a hazard.
• The Escapee. They listen to music or talk on the phone to insulate themselves, distracting themselves so that they don’t have to relate to other road users. This strategy also helps avoid getting frustrated in the first place.
One type of driver identified was The Escapee
Social psychologist Dr Chris Tennant, who is leading the LSE team, said: “Much of the time we can sit happily in the comfortable bubble of our car, but around any corner we may have to interact with other drivers. This makes the road a challenging and uncertain social environment.
“While we may worry about others’ driving, this research suggests that their behaviour also depends on what we do. We create the personalities that we don’t like.
“From a psychological point of view, these different types of personalities represent different outlets that drivers use to deal with their frustrations and strong feelings. We are not always entirely one or the other.
"Depending on the situation and the interaction with others, most of us will find several of these profiles emerge.”
A TEAM of social psychologists from the London School of Economics has found seven different driving personalities, based on how drivers deal with their own feelings and their uncertainty about the behaviour of other motorists and road users.
Psychologists different types of driver including the punisher
The result of an ongoing study on the social psychology of road safety, conducted by the LSE and tyre manufacturer Goodyear, these personalities have been identified from a combination of focus groups and detailed interviews with drivers across Europe.
The seven personalities are:
• The Teacher. This driver feels the need to ensure others know what they have done wrong – and expects to be recognised for their efforts.
• The Know-it-all. They think that they’re surrounded by incompetent fools, so shout condescendingly at other drivers while safely cocooned in their own car.
• The Competitor. They need to get ahead of other road users and become annoyed when someone gets in their way. They often accelerate when someone tries to overtake them or close a gap to prevent anyone from getting in front of them.
• The Punisher. These motorists want to punish other drivers for any perceived transgressions – and sometimes even get out of their car or approach other drivers to remonstrate with them.
• The Philosopher. They accept the actions of other drivers easily and try to rationally explain them away. They also manage to control their feelings in the car.
• The Avoider. They consider the misbehavior of other drivers impersonally and merely dismiss them as a hazard.
• The Escapee. They listen to music or talk on the phone to insulate themselves, distracting themselves so that they don’t have to relate to other road users. This strategy also helps avoid getting frustrated in the first place.
One type of driver identified was The Escapee
Social psychologist Dr Chris Tennant, who is leading the LSE team, said: “Much of the time we can sit happily in the comfortable bubble of our car, but around any corner we may have to interact with other drivers. This makes the road a challenging and uncertain social environment.
“While we may worry about others’ driving, this research suggests that their behaviour also depends on what we do. We create the personalities that we don’t like.
“From a psychological point of view, these different types of personalities represent different outlets that drivers use to deal with their frustrations and strong feelings. We are not always entirely one or the other.
"Depending on the situation and the interaction with others, most of us will find several of these profiles emerge.”
