For the average backseat driver, about the only thing worse than taking the wrong exit on a busy highway is watching someone else take the wrong exit — from the passenger seat. So it may not be surprising that the brain of a scolding passenger shows the same pattern of activity as that of an irritated driver.
A region of the brain that lights up when someone makes an error, scientists have found, also springs into action when another person makes a mistake. An interesting report from the NY Times.
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 28 Apr 2004
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
Grohol, J. (2004). Passengers Feel the Driver’s Anxiety, Too. Psych Central. Retrieved on February 14, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2004/04/28/passengers-feel-the-drivers-anxiety-too/


Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.