The Psychology of the Car : Automobile Admiration, Attachment, and Addiction

__The Psychology of the Car__ explores automotive cultures through the lens of psychology with the goal of achieving a low-carbon transport future. Worldwide there are now more than one billion cars, and their number grows continuously. Yet there is growing evidence that humanity needs to reach ‘peak cars’ as increased air pollution, noise, accidents, and climate change support a decline in car usage. While many governments agree, the car remains attractive, and endeavors to change transport systems have faced fierce resistance. Based on insights from a wide range of transport behaviors, __The Psychology of the Car__ shows the “why” of automotive cultures, providing new perspectives essential for understanding its attractiveness and for defining a more desirable transport future. __The Psychology of the Car__ illustrates the growth of global car use over time and its effect on urban transport systems and the global environment. It looks at the adoption of the car into lifestyles, the “mobilities turn,” and how the car impacts collective and personal identities. The book examines car drivers themselves; their personalities, preferences, and personality disorders relevant to driving. The book looks at the role power, control, dominance, speed, and gender play, as well as the interrelationship between personal freedom and law enforcement. The book explores risk-taking behaviors as accidental death is a central element of car driving. The book addresses how interventions can be successful as well as which interventions are unlikely to work, and concludes with how a more sustainable transport future can be created based on emerging transport trends.

The Psychology of the Car explores automotive cultures through the lens of psychology with the goal of achieving a low-carbon transport future.

Worldwide there are now more than one billion cars, and their number grows continuously. Yet there is growing evidence that humanity needs to reach ‘peak cars’ as increased air pollution, noise, accidents, and climate change support a decline in car usage. While many governments agree, the car remains attractive, and endeavors to change transport systems have faced fierce resistance. Based on insights from a wide range of transport behaviors, The Psychology of the Car shows the “why” of automotive cultures, providing new perspectives essential for understanding its attractiveness and for defining a more desirable transport future.

The Psychology of the Car illustrates the growth of global car use over time and its effect on urban transport systems and the global environment. It looks at the adoption of the car into lifestyles, the “mobilities turn,” and how the car impacts collective and personal identities. The book examines car drivers themselves; their personalities, preferences, and personality disorders relevant to driving. The book looks at the role power, control, dominance, speed, and gender play, as well as the interrelationship between personal freedom and law enforcement. The book explores risk-taking behaviors as accidental death is a central element of car driving. The book addresses how interventions can be successful as well as which interventions are unlikely to work, and concludes with how a more sustainable transport future can be created based on emerging transport trends.

• Features deep analyses of individual and collective psychologies of car affection, moving beyond sociology-based interpretations of automobile culture
• Illustrates concepts using popular culture examples that expose ideas about automobility
• Shows how fewer, smaller and more environmentally friendly cars, as well as low-carbon transport modes, are more socially attractive

Title page -- Table of Contents -- Copyright -- Dedication -- Acronyms -- List of Boxes -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- List of Plates -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- 1. The Automotive System -- In Love With the Automobile -- Growth of the Automobile System -- 2. The Psychology of the Car -- Car Culture -- The Car in Movies -- Advancing the Understanding of Automobility -- The Complexity of Transport Behavior -- A More Comprehensive Transport Psychology -- 3. Automobile Personalities and (Co)Identities -- Car Driver Personalities -- Cars With Personalities -- Car Identity -- Driver-Car Coidentities -- 4. Feelings, Emotions and the Car -- Emotions and the Car -- Fear, Anxieties, and Phobias -- Power, Dominance, and Control -- Anger and Aggression -- Anger and Contempt -- Revenge -- Rebellion -- Escape -- 5. Automobility, Gender and Sex -- Car Semiotics: The Evolutionary Social Psychology of Attraction -- The Car as Space for Sexual Activity -- Sex on the Road -- Dominance and Submission -- Automobile Sexuality in Movies -- Paraphilia -- 6. Speed -- Speeding Up -- Psychological Reasons for Speed -- Speed=Friction -- Speed and Accidents -- Video Games and Speed -- 7. Rights, Authority, and the Police -- The Right to Automobility -- Hatred of Government -- Police, Authority, and the Law -- Driving Outside the Law -- Popular Culture and Perspectives of the Police -- 8. Community, Friends, Family -- The Importance of Relations -- Community in Car Cultures -- Community in Car Movies -- Community and Automobility -- 9. Risk and Death -- Risk and Death in the Automotive System -- Seeking Death -- Racer Biographies: Troubled Childhoods -- Movies and Automobile Death -- 10. The Clinical Psychology of the Car -- Being Mentally Ill -- Personality Disorders and Transport Behavior -- Communicative Violence, Private Languages, and Personality Disorders The Psychology of the Car illustrates the growth of global car use over time and its effect on urban transport systems and the global environment. It looks at the adoption of the car into lifestyles, the "mobilities turn, #x94; and how the car impacts collective and personal identities. The book examines car drivers themselves; their personalities, preferences, and personality disorders relevant to driving. The book looks at the role power, control, dominance, speed, and gender play, as well as the interrelationship between personal freedom and law enforcement. The book explores risk-taking behaviors as accidental death is a central element of car driving. The book addresses how interventions can be successful as well as which interventions are unlikely to work, and concludes with how a more sustainable transport future can be created based on emerging transport trends The Psychology of the Car explores automotive cultures through the lens of psychology with the goal of achieving a low-carbon transport future. Worldwide there are now more than one billion cars, and their number grows continuously. Yet there is growing evidence that humanity needs to reach 'peak cars' as increased air pollution, noise, accidents, and climate change support a decline in car usage. While many governments agree, the car remains attractive, and endeavors to change transport systems have faced fierce resistance. Based on insights from a wide range of transport behaviors, The Psychology of the Car shows the "why#x94; of automotive cultures, providing new perspectives essential for understanding its attractiveness and for defining a more desirable transport future Content: Front Matter,Copyright,Dedication,Acronyms,List of Boxes,List of Figures,List of Tables,List of Plates,Preface,AcknowledgmentsEntitled to full text1 - The Automotive System, Pages 1-18 Chapter 2 - The Psychology of the Car, Pages 19-46 3 - Automobile Personalities and (Co)Identities, Pages 47-65 4 - Feelings, Emotions and the Car, Pages 67-102 5 - Automobility, Gender and Sex, Pages 103-120 6 - Speed, Pages 121-138 7 - Rights, Authority, and the Police, Pages 139-169 8 - Community, Friends, Family, Pages 171-184 9 - Risk and Death, Pages 185-209 10 - The Clinical Psychology of the Car, Pages 211-225 11 - Barriers to Automobile Change, Pages 227-240 12 - Sustainable Automotive Futures, Pages 241-260 References, Pages 261-305 Index, Pages 307-313