Chances are that you've seen them on your daily commute or even in your neighborhood.
Disagreeable, self-centered and stubborn folks driving luxurious cars.
The question is: Can there be a psychological reason why these sets of people tend to own high-status cars?
There could be, according to a current study carried out by some researchers from the University of Helsinki Finland, and reported here on Naijauto.
Jan-Erik Lonngvist, a social psychology professor and lead study author, wanted to find out if some groups of people that have a tendency for being more aggressive or quarrelsome are attracted to luxurious cars. The luxury brands in question were BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Audi, and Lexus.
Study reveals that people who are more argumentative and stubborn tends to drive luxurious cars
The researchers discovered that disagreeable folks who are stubborn, ruthless and argumentative tend to drive high-end cars.
What's even more interesting is that men and women who are conscientious and pay attention to details also tend to own these high-status vehicles. A personality that fits this latter trait is Aliko Dangote, who has a luxurious fleet of cars to his name like the Maybach 57S Knight, Bugatti Veyron, and Bentley Mulsanne just to mention.
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Another study also found out that upper-class folks, for example, those in authority, are more likely to disobey traffic laws because of their assumption of being entitled to do so.
This discovery has always played out in many Nigerian government officials who have been spotted on several occasions trying to wiggle their way out of traffic, even if it means violating the existing traffic rules.
This sense of entitlement, according to the study, has also produced unethical driving habits in luxury car drivers.
The Mercedes-Benz brand is one of the luxurious cars folks love acquiring
However, the study asserted that the reason "may not be due to the corruptive effects of high social class, but rather due to the underlying personality traits that dispose certain people to purchase high-status cars."
In essence, the study says that rich people see themselves as superior and are likely to show off.
And for the folks who are conscientious, they would always want to show off as being reliable and responsible.
Lonngvist was of the view that BMW and Audi car owners see their cars as an identity issue. He added that it would be good if folks have other viable ways to flaunt their status.
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