It’s easy to see how longer drives to work can lead to feeling frustrated and irritated and getting stressed.
The same is true for rail commuters, according to a Cornell researcher and his colleagues. The longer the trip, the more physiological and psychological stress passengers have, and the less able they are to complete simple tasks at the end of the commute, regardless of gender.
In a recent issue of Healthy Psychology, environmental psychologists Gary Evans of Cornell and Richard Wener of Polytechnic University reported on a study they conducted of 208 commuters, taking trains from New Jersey to Manhattan. The colleagues measured commuters’ saliva for the stress hormone cortisol and analyzed questionnaires filled out by the passengers and their spouses, and asked each participant to proofread a document at the end of the commute.
Evans, a professor of design and environmental analysis said, “Commuting is a ubiquitous stressor for more than 100 million Americans who commute to work every weekday. Yet, little is known about how this aspect of work, which may indeed be the most stressful aspect of the job for some, affects human health and well-being. Commuting stress is an important and largely overlooked aspect of environmental health.”
© Copyright 2007 Insight Journal Online Magazine.
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