Naturalistic studies of aggressive behavior: Aggressive stimuli, victim visibility, and horn honking.
Turner, Charles W.; Layton, John F.; Simons, Lynn S.
[Article] Journal of Personality & Social Psychology. 31(6):1098-1107, June 1975.

(Format: HTML, PDF)

3 studies extended laboratory research on aggression to a naturalistic setting which involved horn honking from drivers as a measure of aggression; the studies were adapted from A. N. Doob and A. E. Gross (see record 1969-03945-001). Results from a survey (Study 1) of 59 drivers suggest that Ss were frequently irritated by and aggressive toward other drivers. Study 2 (using a 3 x 2 factorial design with 92 male drivers) indicates that manipulations of a rifle in an aggressive context and victim visibility (dehumanization) both significantly influenced horn honking rates subsequent to obstruction at a signal light. Study 3, with 137 male drivers and 63 female drivers, examined the interactive effects of a rifle, an aggressively connotated bumper sticker, and individual S characteristics (sex and an exploratory index of self-perceived status) on horn honking. Results offer possible extensions of laboratory based findings on aggression. The role of inhibitions in modifying the pattern of results is also discussed. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)

(C) 1975 by the American Psychological Association