Abstract
Moral emotions influence how drivers behave while operating a vehicle. Moral emotions refer to feelings represented by “guilt” and “shame” and are vital in compliance with social norms. This study aimed to examine the relationship between drivers’ moral emotions and driving behavior, including brain activity. A questionnaire survey on moral emotions and a driving behavior evaluation using a driving simulator were administered to 28 healthy drivers. A 50-item criminal scenario was employed in the moral emotions questionnaire, and the participants read the scenario and assessed the severity of the crime. Based on the questionnaire results, the participants were classified into a low-moral group, a high-moral group, and a control group. Further, a driving behavior assessment was conducted using a driving simulator. The evaluation items were （1） sudden braking, （2） near miss, （3） accident, （4） average speed at high-speed areas, and （5） excessive speed rate. Statistical comparisons were made among the three groups regarding these evaluation items. The results showed that the high-moral group had a significantly higher excessive speed rate than the low-moral group. Thus, drivers with high moral emotions may have personality factors that make them more likely to engage in driving behaviors that lead to violations and accidents. However, further verification of the effect of moral emotions on driving behavior is needed, as no significant differences were found between the control group and the other two groups.
