Work stressors and aggressive driving: The mediating roles of stress appraisals

Abstract

While the association between work stressors and the risk of traffic accidents and driving lapses has been established, there is a lack of research exploring the relationship between work stressors and aggressive driving—a notable contributor to traffic incidents and injuries. To fill this gap, the present study utilized the challenge-hindrance stressor framework and the transactional theory of stress to investigate the effects of these stressors on aggressive driving behaviors, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of challenge and hindrance appraisals. We used time-lagged design and gathered self-reported data from 247 employees at a Chinese company over three distinct time points. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that both challenge and hindrance stressors are positively associated with aggressive driving, with their effects mediated by corresponding appraisals of challenge and hindrance. Notably, challenge appraisals were inversely related to aggressive driving. Our study is one of the first attempts to explore the relationship between work stressors and aggressive driving, underscoring the critical role of stress appraisals in understanding responses to stressors.