If You Like Your Car Really Loud, You’re More Likely To Be A Psychopath
A recent study discovered that people who prefer their cars to be extra loud are more likely to be psychopathic. The research was led by Julie Aitken Schermer, a professor of psychology and management at Western University.
The idea for the study came to her during a walk with her dog in London, Ontario. The study was titled, “A desire for a loud car with a modified muffler is predicted by being a man and higher scores on psychopathy and sadism.”
Reason For The Study
Julie Aitken Schermer said, “Every day we come across these loud cars and pickup trucks and motorcycles that are backfiring and I get startled. My dog was startled. I see the animals run away that are in the trees and squirrels on the ground. I thought, ‘Oh, who really wants to make this kind of noise?’ And so a typical academic, I went and did an extensive search and found nothing.”
No Academic Studies
When she found no academic studies that looked into this, she decided to do her own study. She wanted to know if there was a psychological connection between individuals and their speedy, noisy vehicles. She wanted to dig deeper!
Title Of Study
Her study is titled, “A desire for a loud car with a modified muffler is predicted by being a man and higher scores on psychopathy and sadism.” It appeared in the 2023 edition of the academic psychology journal Current Issues in Personality Psychology.
Sadistic And Psychopathic
As implied by the study’s title, Schermer’s research revealed that individuals drawn to cars featuring loud modified exhaust systems were predominantly male and exhibited higher levels of sadistic and psychopathic traits. This came as a shock to many, but some were not very surprised.
Study Of Undergraduate Business Students
Schermer conducted a study involving 529 undergraduate business students, comprising 289 men, 234 women, and six individuals identifying with other gender identities. The professor quizzed students on their perception of cars as extensions of self, their opinion on the appeal of loud vehicles, and their tendency towards modifying their car exhausts for increased noise.
Exploring Personality Traits
Schermer administered the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) personality measure to the undergraduates. This questionnaire evaluates a range of malevolent personality traits such as narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism. Initially, the professor hypothesized that individuals with loud exhaust pipes would exhibit narcissistic tendencies, but the findings revealed otherwise.
Studies Findings
“We found that it was sadism and psychopathy was predicting who wants to modify their mufflers, who feels more connected to their vehicle, and they think loud cars are really cool. It seems to be this callous disregard for other people’s feelings and their reactions. That’s the psychopathy coming out and it’s also they probably get a kick out of enjoying watching people get startled.” said Schermer.
Criticism Of Study
Many people cast doubts on the professor’s findings. Under scrutiny is the fact the group that was studied was only young college students. Critics also point out she was predisposed to finding some kind of psychological connection, as she even said so herself. She also said the group studied was “the most psychopathic and sadist prone program available at a post-secondary institute.”
New York City
In New York City, these loud cars cause a huge disturbance to the general public. So much so that the local government, tired of the noise pollution, is rolling out specialized noise cameras to target inconsiderate drivers.
Personality Profile Of Criminals
Schermer acknowledged that not all lovers of loud cars exhibit traits associated with a particularly dangerous faction of criminals. According to her, lots of them do, though. She said, “The personality profile I found with loud mufflers are also the same personality profile of people who illegally commit arson.”
Community Impact
The pesky racket from loud vehicles isn’t just an annoyance; it’s a real quality-of-life issue for city dwellers. It disrupts sleep, adds stress, and just generally makes life less pleasant. That’s why cities like New York are taking action with noise cameras to crack down on the noise and give everyone a bit more peace and quiet.
What’s Next?
Lots of people want to make cities more serene since there’s already so much noise in cities to begin with. Noise cameras are just one piece of the puzzle. It’ll probably require getting creative about how to tackle the problem. Whatever the solution, it’s going to take a team effort from policymakers, urban planners, and ordinary residents.
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