Psychometric Examination and Validation of the Aggressive Driving Scale (ADS)

Abstract

Aggressive driving behavior is an important cause of traffic accidents and injuries. The Aggressive Driving Scale (ADS) analyzed in the present study consists of 24 items. A sample of 276 participants was analyzed to obtain the factor structure and reliability of the ADS and 67 of them participated in the behavioral experiment to validate the scale. Results indicated a three-factor structure (Interference with other drivers, Violations/Risk taking, and Anger/Aggression expression) with high item loadings. Reliability analysis reported excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Construct validity was established as the ADS subscale scores correlated significantly with trait measures of anger and aggression. Predictive validity of the ADS was verified through multiple regression analyses as the ADS is a significant predictor of behavioral measures in the simulated environment and self-report measures of real world violations. These results suggest that the ADS is a reliable and valid tool in evaluating aggressive driving behaviors.

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