Introversion-Extraversion and Motor Vehicle Driver Behavior

Abstract

In a number of factor analytical studies Eysenck and co-workers (Eysenck, 1953, 1955, 1961) have consistently identified an introversion-extraversion dimension of personality. Eysenck ( 1955; 1961 ) attempted to account for individual differences along the introversion-extraversion continuum in a theory based in part upon concepts of Hull, Pavlov, and Jung. He postulated individual differences in cortical ranging from extremely strong potentials to extremely strong potentials. Eysenck (1961, p. 27) theorized that, given equal environmental pressure, individuals with strong excitatory and weak inhibitory pocentials would be expected to form strong, stable conditioned responses and would develop introverted behavior traits. Individuals with weak excitatory and strong inhibitory would be expected to form weak, unstable conditioned responses and would develop extraverted behavior traits. Individuals intermediate with respect to excitatory-inhibitory balance would also tend to be intermediate with respect to conditionability and consequently with respect to introversion-extraversion. Experimental studies designed to test various aspects of this theory have dealt primarily with laboratory-induced phenomena such as conditioning (Franks, 1956, 1957, 1961; Vogel, 1961), figural after-effect (Eysenck, 1955) judgements of time (Lynn, 1961 ) , and a variety of other tasks (Eysenck, 1960) and have generally established chat predicted differences in behavior between introverts and extraverts do occur. Superimposing Mowrer's (1950) hypothesis chat the socialization process depends on conditioning upon his own theoretical framework, Eysenck (1961, p. 27) theorizes chat introverts, being expected to form strong conditioned responses, would tend to be highly socialized whereas extraverts, who form weak conditioned responses, would be less highly socialized. Given the evidence, cited above, that introverts do condition more rapidly and have greater resistance to extinction of conditioned responses than extraverts, and given Mowrer's (1950) assumption relating socialization to conditioning, differential social behavior for introverts and extraverts should be predictable from the theory. Accordingly, this study was designed to examine the relationship between introversion-extraversion and incidences of automobile driver traffic accidents and violations. Since extraverts are assumed to be less socialized than introverts, it is reasonable to assiune that they should be less bound by the prescribed rules

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