This study addresses whether highway vegetation can mitigate automobile driver anger and frustration. Previous studies have shown that stress and/or fatigue from the exercise of directed attention can exacerbate anger and frustration, and that exposure to vegetation can facilitate recovery from this stress and fatigue. In the current study, 106 participants were randomly assigned to view one of three videotapes of highway drives, which varied in the amount of vegetation versus man-made material. The experiment obtained Speilberger State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory measures of anger before and after video exposure and obtained a measure of frustration tolerance after the video. Results for frustration tolerance showed higher frustration tolerance (respondents spent more time on unsolvable anagrams) after exposure to videotapes with more vegetation, although there was no similar effect on anger. These findings indicate that roadside vegetation can have a restorative effect on frustration reduction. (Author/publisher)
Abstract