ABSTRACT
Four types of drinking driver groups were compared with each other and also with two nondrinking driver groups on sensation seeking, social responsibility, and hostility. Groups were also compared on traffic violations, accidents, alcohol consumption, frequency of driving after drinking, frequency of driving impaired, and perception of driving risk taking after drinking. Drivers under the influence apprehended in conjunction with an accident or moving violation had significantly greater alcohol consumption, frequency of driving after drinking, frequency of driving impaired, traffic violations, accidents, and self rating of risk taking after drinking in comparison with other groups.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking , Automobile Driving , Personality , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Personality Inventory , Risk-TakingABSTRACT
Using an interview and questionnaire format, 358 driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI) first offenders and 141 DUI multiple offenders were compared on measures of personality traits, drinking behavior and problems, and driving behavior and history. In addition, official driving records for the two groups were compared. Results indicated that multiple offenders were significantly higher in hostility, sensation seeking, psychopathic deviance, mania, and depression than first offenders. Multiple offenders were significantly lower in emotional adjustment and assertiveness. Multiple offenders had significantly more nontraffic arrests, accidents, and traffic tickets than first offenders. They also consumed significantly more alcohol, evidenced more alcohol problems, and had higher BACs at the time of arrest than first offenders. Results are discussed in terms of general problem behavior and implications for intervention and treatment.
Subject(s)
Alcoholic Intoxication/psychology , Alcoholism/psychology , Antisocial Personality Disorder/psychology , Automobile Driving/psychology , Criminal Psychology , Accidents, Traffic/legislation & jurisprudence , Accidents, Traffic/prevention & control , Accidents, Traffic/psychology , Alcoholic Intoxication/prevention & control , Alcoholism/rehabilitation , Antisocial Personality Disorder/diagnosis , Automobile Driving/education , Automobile Driving/legislation & jurisprudence , Colorado , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Mississippi , Personality Assessment/statistics & numerical data , Personality Inventory/statistics & numerical data , Psychometrics , Recurrence , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
Female DUI offenders who participated in a controlled, random assignment DUI intervention study, the Mississippi DUI Probation Follow-Up Project, were compared to their male counterparts on demographic, drinker status and recidivism variables. In comparison to men, women in the project were less likely to be married, more likely to be between 30 and 50 years of age, less likely to have less than a 9th grade education, less likely to be screened as a high-problem-risk drinker, less likely to have prior DUI and public drunkenness arrests and less likely to recidivate. The effects of short-term rehabilitation, 1 year's probation and administration of the Life Activities Inventory-Current Status Questionnaire (LAI-CSQ) on the long-term recidivism rates of women were examined. The analysis for screened low-problem-risk women was inconclusive due to lack of statistical power. However, the repeated administration of the LAI-CSQ was detrimental for screened high-problem-risk women and tended to be detrimental for women with fewer than 12 years of education. Implications for intervening with female DUIs are discussed.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Traffic/legislation & jurisprudence , Alcoholism/rehabilitation , Automobile Driving/legislation & jurisprudence , Accidents, Traffic/prevention & control , Adult , Alcohol Drinking/legislation & jurisprudence , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Mississippi , Recurrence , Sex FactorsABSTRACT
Eight types of drinking driver groups were compared on several personality and behavior traits. It was found that impaired drivers arrested after an accident or moving violation were significantly higher in hostility, psychopathic deviance, nontraffic arrests, frequency of impaired driving, accidents after drinking, and drinks consumed per week than impaired drivers caught in roadblocks. Neither impaired drivers stopped in roadblocks nor impaired drivers never arrested differed from nonimpaired drinking drivers or nondrinking drivers on most measures examined.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking/legislation & jurisprudence , Alcoholic Intoxication/psychology , Antisocial Personality Disorder/diagnosis , Automobile Driving/legislation & jurisprudence , Personality Tests , Prisons , Adolescent , Adult , Alcohol Drinking/psychology , Alcoholism/diagnosis , Alcoholism/psychology , Antisocial Personality Disorder/psychology , Arousal , Automobile Driving/psychology , Female , Hostility , Humans , Male , PsychometricsABSTRACT
Using long-term DUI (Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol) arrest recidivism data from a controlled study of DUI intervention effectiveness, interactions among DUI interventions, age, race, education, and alcohol severity were estimated using logit analysis. Data were collected in a 9-year follow-up study of the Mississippi DUI Probation Project. The effects of short-term interventions (alcohol education schools for low alcohol severity offenders and structured group interventions for high alcohol severity offenders) were specified by educational level. Short-term rehabilitation was modestly effective for those with less than 12 years of education, but less effective or detrimental for the more highly educated. The effects of probation were specified by age and education, being more effective for those under 30 years and 55 years or older than for the middle age group. Probation was most effective for well-educated older (55+) offenders. An analysis of the under 30 years group also suggested that probation was especially effective for young well-educated Minority offenders.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Traffic/legislation & jurisprudence , Alcohol Drinking/psychology , Alcoholism/rehabilitation , Adult , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , RecurrenceABSTRACT
Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the relationship of five drinking reason factors to drinking locations and consumption variables within a random sample of drinking college students surveyed by telephone. Hypotheses relating self-reported accident involvement after drinking and two specific reason factors - Opposite Sex/Drunkenness and Pleasure - were tested. Both Pleasure and Opposite Sex/Drunkenness were directly related to quantity consumed and to drinking in several away-from-home locations. Opposite Sex/Drunkenness reasons and frequency of drinking in cars significantly contributed to identifying males who reported accident involvement following drinking.
Subject(s)
Accidents, Traffic , Drinking Behavior , Adolescent , Adult , Alcoholic Intoxication/psychology , Automobile Driving , Female , Humans , Male , Mississippi , Models, Psychological , Motivation , Social Behavior , Students/psychology , Tennessee , UniversitiesABSTRACT
Using a cover story of the effects of alcohol on perceptual and motor abilities, two levels of alcohol consumed (moderate and none), two levels of alcohol expectancy (moderate and none), and two levels of sensation seeking (high and low) were combined to determine their effect on risk taking in a driving simulator. Ninety-six subjects were randomly assigned to eight conditions. Dependent variables were lane changes-cars passed and time at maximum speed. Results on lane-changes-cars passed indicated greater risk-taking in driving by high sensation seekers. Interaction of alcohol expectancy and sensation seeking indicated high sensation seekers took more risks when they believed they had consumed alcohol. Low sensation seekers became more cautious in driving when they believed they had consumed alcohol. Alcohol consumed did not produce a significant main effect or interaction.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking/psychology , Alcoholic Intoxication/psychology , Arousal/drug effects , Automobile Driving , Risk-Taking/drug effects , Set, Psychology , Adult , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Female , Humans , Male , Personality TestsABSTRACT
Using a cover story of the effects of alcohol on perceptual and motor abilities, three levels of alcohol consumed (high, moderate, and none) were combined with three levels of alcohol expected (high, moderate, and none) to determine their effects on risk-taking while driving. Thirty-nine subjects were randomly assigned to six conditions. A driving simulation task was employed; dependent variables were cars passed and total time at high speed. Results indicated greatest risk-taking, measured by cars passed and time spent at high speed, by subjects who believed they had consumed a moderate amount of alcohol. Actual amount of alcohol consumed produced no significant differences.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking/psychology , Automobile Driving , Risk-Taking , Adult , Analysis of Variance , Attitude , Female , Humans , Male , Random AllocationABSTRACT
Fifty patients of an in vitro fertilization (IVF) program were compared to 25 individuals undergoing fertility investigation other than IVF. Each subject was given the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) and a social history interview during which behavioral signs of anxiety were noted. The CPI profile indicated the IVF subjects to be higher on characteristics of ambitiousness, creativity, and independence. No major differences were noted on the interview questions and behavioral ratings. Both groups may view IVF as a possible treatment for their infertility; however, the IVF patients have certain personality characteristics which make them more likely to actually become involved.