Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Date

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Civil Engineering

Committee Chair

Stephanie Ivey

Committee Member

Jia Wei Zhang

Committee Member

Leah Windsor

Committee Member

Martin Lipinski

Abstract

The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of responsibility and social intelligence on dangerous driving behavior among young drivers. Quantitative (i.e., multiple hierarchical regression) and qualitative (i.e., thematic analysis) methods are combined to achieve this goal. A total of 404 US drivers aged 18-35 participated in this study and completed an online survey that included demographic questions, the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI), Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale (TSIS), Responsibility Questionnaire (RQ), and open-ended questions. The quantitative results indicated that higher social awareness, social skill, personal responsibility, and social responsibility are correlated with less frequent dangerous driving behavior while social information processing is not related to dangerous driving behavior. Also, young drivers with higher social awareness (e.g., better understanding and perceiving emotions, perspectives, and social cues of others) engaged in less frequent dangerous driving and negative cognitive/emotional driving. Furthermore, higher social skill (e.g., ability to communicate effectively) resulted in less frequent negative cognitive/emotional driving. Higher personal responsibility led into less frequent negative cognitive/emotional driving, while higher social responsibility showed an opposite impact. The qualitative results showed that responsibility, understanding and perceiving others’ choices and perspectives, and caring about others have a noticeable role in preventing dangerous driving behavior. Incorporating responsibility and social intelligence into the development of driving education programs and driver assessment methods may reduce dangerous driving behaviors. Also, the findings can be useful for the revision of driving behavior categories and/or development of a new driving behavior measurement that includes responsibility and social intelligence.

Comments

Data is provided by the student.”

Library Comment

Dissertation or thesis originally submitted to ProQuest/Clarivate.

Notes

Open Access

Download

Share

COinS
 

Archival Statement

This item was created or digitized prior to April 24, 2027, or is a reproduction of legacy media created before that date. It is preserved in its original, unmodified state specifically for research, reference, or historical recordkeeping. This material is part of a digital archival collection and is not utilized for current University instruction, programs, or active public communication. In accordance with the ADA Title II Final Rule, the University Libraries provides accessible versions of archival materials upon request. To request an accommodation for this item, please submit an accessibility request form.