Effects of Inferred Social Status and a Beginning Driver's Sticker upon Aggression of Drivers in Japan

Abstract

The present study examined how inferred social status and a beginning driver's sticker influenced aggressive drivers' behavior on the road in Japan. A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design was constructed to examine the effects of social status of an experimental car (high or low), with a beginning driver's sticker or no beginning driver's sticker, and a male or female driver. Analysis showed that horn-honking latency in the sticker condition was longer than that in the no-sticker condition in the low status car. In the high status car, the horn was sounded sooner in the condition with a beginning driver's sticker. A beginning driver's sticker promoted aggressive behavior toward a high status person, whereas it inhibited aggressive behavior toward low status individuals. Thus, response to a beginning driver's sticker appears to vary according to inferred social status.