Psychological Predictors of Environmentally Unsustainable Driving Behaviors: Schadenfreude and Preference for Loud Car Modifications

Noise pollution from modified vehicles represents a growing environmental and social sustainability concern in urban areas. Understanding the psychological factors underlying such behaviors is essential for promoting sustainable mobility and public well-being. The present study investigates whether schadenfreude (i.e., the enjoyment of others’ misfortune) predicts attitudes toward loud car modifications, an environmentally unsustainable behavior linked to social disturbance. University undergraduate students (N = 606; 61% men) completed an online self-report survey assessing sex, age, schadenfreude across three scenarios, and attitudes toward loud cars. Multiple regression analyses revealed that men with lower scores on two schadenfreude scenarios and higher scores on the third were more likely to report favorable attitudes toward loud car modifications. These findings extend previous research on personality and antisocial driving tendencies, highlighting the relevance of emotional traits in understanding behaviors that undermine sustainable urban environments. Future interventions addressing social and psychological drivers of noise pollution may contribute to environmental and social sustainability efforts.