The role of difficulties in emotion regulation on driving behavior

Abstract

The present study tested associations among difficulties in emotion regulation and driving styles.One-hundred and thirty seven Argentinean drivers completed self-report measures of difficulties inemotion regulation and driving styles. As expected, greater difficulties in different types of emotionregulation abilities were related to anxious, angry, dissociative and risky driving. By contrast, lesserdifficulties in regulating emotions were associated with careful driving. Stepwise multiple regressionanalysis revealed a differential contribution of specific types of emotion regulation abilities toeach driving style. Importance of assessing emotional skills in candidates’ examination to obtain/renewal driving license and emotion regulation based-interventions for drivers with maladaptivedriving behaviors is emphasized. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.Keywords: Difficulties in emotion regulation, driving styles, Traffic Psychology.