Prosocial Behaviour Towards Victims of Road Accidents: Examining Personality, Gender and Traumatic Experience

Abstract

As Ebonyi State develops into a city with the attendant population growth and increasing motor traffic, the category of residents that can form part of the road safety network should be of great concern. The study investigated the strengths of personality, gender and traumatic experience as predictors of prosocial behaviour among motorists in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State. One hundred and ninety-nine (199) road users in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, participated in the study. Participants were randomly drawn using a convenient sampling technique in a cross-sectional survey design. The Big-Five Personality Inventory, the Trauma History Questionnaire (THQ), and the Self-Report Altruism Scale were used for data collection. Data analysis using the multiple regression analysis revealed that some dimensions of personality (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience) were positively related to prosocial behaviour; gender was not significantly associated with prosocial behaviour and traumatic stress experience especially and positively predicted prosocial behaviour. The study observed that personality trait is the most significant predictor of prosocial behaviour toward road accident victims. Based on the theory of empathic altruism, we recommend aggressive and widespread education on road safety measures for all ages and establishing a civilian road safety network to complement the efforts of FRSC in Ebonyi State.