@article{ref1,
title=""Get the f#∗k out of my way!" Exploring the cathartic effect of swear words in coping with driving anger",
journal="Transportation research part F: traffic psychology and behaviour",
year="2018",
author="Popușoi, Simona A. and Havârneanu, Grigore M. and Havârneanu, Corneliu E.",
volume="56",
number="",
pages="215-226",
abstract="Previous studies suggest that swearing is a prevalent expression of verbal aggression among drivers, but the role of swearing as a coping mechanism with anger remains unknown. The current article explored the cathartic role of swearing in situations when drivers experienced strong negative emotions. First we conducted a structured interview (N = 35) to identify the primary traffic situations when drivers regularly swear. In the second pre-study (N = 28) we examined the levels of negative and positive affect generated by these situations in order to identify the scenarios most likely to generate anger. The main study (N = 250) tested the cathartic role of swearing in these scenarios, by measuring its influence on the self-reported negative affective valence and level of physical activation.
RESULTS indicated three frequently swearing situations which are characterized by negative affect and high physical activation for the driver: (1) being forced to slow down by pedestrians who cross the road in illegal places; (2) being refused the legitimate right of way by another driver; and (3) traffic jams caused by cars which are stopped or parked illegally on the roadway. However, results showed that swearing had a cathartic role only in the first of these three situations. These findings suggested that swearing is not only an expression of verbal aggression towards another road user, but occasionally a way to cope with anger, which leads to better outcomes for the driver such as more positive affect and lower physical activation. Language: en
",
language="en",
issn="1369-8478",
doi="10.1016/j.trf.2018.04.013",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2018.04.013"
}