Manifestations of Deviant Driving Behavior Among the Russians

Abstract

The analysis of the publications of foreign researchers allowed us to identify some factors that cause deviant behavior on the roads. In order to test the driving behavior questionnaire (DBQ) and make a psychological diagnosis of driving deviance on a Russian sample (1,383 people), an online sociological survey was carried out. It was checked for constructive (factorial) validity and reliability to solve the methodological problem of testing the questionnaire. Exploratory factor analysis of the survey data allowed us to identify three factors of deviant driving behavior: low driving culture, a sense of superiority, and carelessness. Confirmatory factor analysis stated the final (a posteriori) model of deviant driver behavior, consisting of three factors and corresponding to the initial data on the indicators of the consent indices. We found that such social and demographic factors as gender, the degree of urbanization, and the level of subjective income of respondents are associated with deviant behavior on the roads. Aggressive driving style with dominance and demonstration of superiority is more often manifested in men, in residents of megacities and large cities, and in wealthier drivers. There is more hostility, demonstrativeness, and less tolerance and politeness towards other drivers in the behavior of representatives of these social groups. It is also proven that the higher the cognitive empathy, the lower the deviance in driving.