From extraversion to psychopathy: Personality predictors of drink-driving

The present study examined the predictive role of ten personality traits (i.e., Five Factor Model, Dark Triad, impulsivity, and sensation seeking) in the history of drink-driving and investigated the mediating role of this behavior in the relationship between personality traits and aberrant driving behaviors, such as traffic fines and accidents.

Participants were 303 individuals from the general population, with ages ranging from 18 to 77 years (M = 35.4; SD = 11.96). The sample consisted predominantly of women (53.1%), individuals with average income levels (52.1%), and drivers who had held a license for more than 10 years (50.2%). Participants completed self-report instruments assessing the frequency of driving under the influence of alcohol, as well as measures of personality traits. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations to examine general patterns of association among variables, multiple linear regression to identify predictors of drink-driving, and structural equation modeling to test the contextual mediated model.

The findings revealed that openness, extraversion, psychopathy, and sensation seeking were significant predictors of drink-driving. Moreover, these traits indirectly influenced aberrant driving behaviors, while drink-driving itself emerged as a direct predictor of such behaviors.

This research replicates and extends previous studies by demonstrating both direct and indirect effects of various personality traits on problematic traffic behaviors (including drink-driving, traffic fines, and accident involvement). The findings underscore the importance of assessing personality traits in the context of driver licensing processes.