TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2018//
TI  - "Get the f#∗k out of my way!" Exploring the cathartic effect of swear words in coping with driving anger
JO  - Transportation research part F: traffic psychology and behaviour
A1  - Popușoi, Simona A.
A1  - Havârneanu, Grigore M.
A1  - Havârneanu, Corneliu E.
SP  - 215
EP  - 226
VL  - 56
IS  - 
N2  - 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. <br><br>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.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1369-8478
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trf.2018.04.013
ID  - ref1
ER  -