About the project

Aggressive driving is an important problem in various societies. Regarding the predictors of driving aggression, we can identify two main categories: demographic variables such as age and gender, and individual differences represented to a great extent by personality traits. The lack of a strong theoretical framework makes it impossible to properly understand aggressive driving and to answer questions such as why certain personality dispositions predict driving aggression. Therefore, we propose Life-History Theory as an integrative theoretical framework that should explain the relationships between demographic variables (socioeconomic status), personality dispositions and driving aggression. Organisms that develop in unstable (e.g. scarce resource availability) and unpredictable environments (e.g. high physical risks, predation, etc.) will develop r-selected traits that are clustered together and form a fast life history strategy. Therefore, we hypothesize that personality traits would mediate the relationship between fast life history strategies and driving outcomes. Moreover, we predict that socioeconomic status will moderate the relationship between fast life history strategies, personality and driving aggression. Another aim of this project is to develop and test the efficacy of a cognitive evolutionary impulsivity focused intervention (CET) aimed at reducing driving aggression by decreasing impulsivity through fitness increasing strategies.