Surfing in the streets: How problematic smartphone use, fear of missing out, and antisocial personality traits are linked to driving behavior

Smartphone use while driving (SUWD) is a major cause of accidents and fatal crashes. This serious problem is still too little understood to be solved. Therefore, the current research aimed to contribute to a better understanding of SUWD by examining factors that have received little or no attention...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2023-04, Vol.18 (4), p.e0284984-e0284984
Main Authors: Hudecek, Matthias F C, Lemster, Simon, Fischer, Peter, Cecil, Julia, Frey, Dieter, Gaube, Susanne, Lermer, Eva
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Analysis
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Behavior
Biology and Life Sciences
Complications and side effects
Computer and Information Sciences
Crashes
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diagnosis
Distracted driving
Drinking behavior
Driving
Driving ability
Engineering and Technology
Fatalities
Fear
Humans
Hypotheses
Literature reviews
Narcissism
Personality
Personality traits
Roads & highways
Screen time
Smart phones
Smartphone
Smartphones
Social behavior
Social networks
Social Sciences
Sociopathic personality
Surfing
Surveys and Questionnaires
Text messaging
Traffic accidents
Young adults
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Summary:Smartphone use while driving (SUWD) is a major cause of accidents and fatal crashes. This serious problem is still too little understood to be solved. Therefore, the current research aimed to contribute to a better understanding of SUWD by examining factors that have received little or no attention in this context: problematic smartphone use (PSU), fear of missing out (FOMO), and Dark Triad. In the first step, we conducted a systematic literature review to map the current state of research on these factors. In the second step, we conducted a cross-sectional study and collected data from 989 German car drivers. A clear majority (61%) admitted to using the smartphone while driving at least occasionally. Further, the results showed that FOMO is positively linked to PSU and that both are positively associated with SUWD. Additionally, we found that Dark Triad traits are relevant predictors of SUWD and other problematic driving behaviors--in particular, psychopathy is associated with committed traffic offenses. Thus, results indicate that PSU, FOMO, and Dark Triad are relevant factors to explain SUWD. We hope to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of this dangerous phenomenon with these findings.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0284984