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The Psychology of Road Rage

What is it about being behind the wheel that makes us so mad?
Pexels (Public Domain)
What is it about being behind the wheel that makes us so mad?

From Texas Standard:

Police in Van Zandt County, Texas, are offering a reward to find the suspected shooter of a 39-year-old man who authorities believe was shot as the result of a road rage incident. This report echoes  a series of stories that have been making headlines across the state: from  the Marine who shot a student in Denton because she refused his advances, to the viral video of two Austin motorists  swinging bats and two-by-fours at each other.

But all this raises a bigger question: what is it about sitting behind the wheel that make us so angry?

 

Art Markman, professor of psychology at the University of Texas in Austin, says it's all about control.

"When you're behind the wheel, tremendous amounts of what are going on are actually completely outside of your control," he says. "When you're in a situation that's potentially frustrating, and then you have no control over that situation, that now blossoms from just a little bit of frustration into full-blown rage."

Another factor is the interpersonal disconnect between drivers. That's what Markman calls the "internet comment" effect.

"If you think about how mean people can get when they're making comments on the internet, you actually get a similar thing with road rage," he says. "You've got this anonymous person in another car, they probably can't hear exactly what you're yelling at them. ... That social distance licenses you to do things you might never do if you were standing right next to somebody."

Markman says knowing how road rage works means we can begin to fix the problem. Drivers can distance themselves from the situation and take an "overhead perspective."

"Recognize that chances are there's a whole line of cars filled with people who are really angry," he says. "From a distance you can realize there are bigger and more important things in the world than how quickly you are getting past this situation."

Copyright 2020 KUT 90.5. To see more, visit KUT 90.5.

Alain Stephens heads up investigative reports for Texas Standard. A graduate of the University of North Texas and a veteran of two of the U.S. armed forces, Alain served both in the Coast Guard and the Air Force. His work has won accolades for exposing how the state pays those with disabilities below minimum wage, as well as the fast-tracking of juveniles to adult prisons. Contact Alain at astephens@kut.org, or (512) 232-6173.