Empatia e personalidade: uma análise do comportamento dos motoristas

Abstract

Traffic is a dynamic context made up of roads, vehicles and people. However, most traffic problems, including accidents, are due to the human factor. Many studies have been carried out on empathy, personality and behavior, but not addressing the relationship between them in the context of mobility. Thus, with the aim of giving greater visibility to discussions about traffic in the interior of the state of Bahia and contributing to possible future social and/or educational interventions, we sought to analyze the possible relationship between empathy, personality and the behavior of errors, lapses and violations by licensed drivers, know the profile of these subjects and look for possible differences between gender, age, education and involvement in accidents. The following printed instruments were used, namely: the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI); the Personality Scale for Drivers (EPM); the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (QCM); and a Sociodemographic Questionnaire prepared by the author. The sample was non-probabilistic for convenience, composed of qualified people, complying with all ethical aspects. Among the 189 subjects, the majority were male, with an average of 38.8 years old, completed high school, licensed to drive a car and motorcycle (AB), with no accidents history, with high pro-sociality and empathic consideration and with more lapse behaviors than errors and violations. Younger drivers showed more violations and less empathetic consideration when compared to older drivers. Women showed more empathy than men, and individuals who reported having been involved in accidents scored high in sensation-seeking and violation. There was a negative correlation between emotional instability and perspective taking; and between perspective taking and empathic consideration and the violation factor. There was a positive correlation between errors, lapses and violations and the factors emotional instability and sensation-seeking; and between impulsivity and lapses. Pro-sociability and violations were negatively correlated, suggesting that the people who most violate traffic laws are those who are more unstable and tend to put themselves less in the shoes of others. The results suggest the need to intensify studies in the context of traffic, especially in relation to personality (pro-sociability, emotional instability and sensation-seeking), violation behavior, empathy and traffic accidents.