Volume 10 Number 1 , 2025 Faculty of Social Sciences, Enugu State University of Science And Technology EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Prof. Nicholas Attamah MANAGING EDITOR Prof. Barnabas Nwankwo PUBLISHED BY ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES & HUMANITIES 131 Self-Esteem, Locus of Control and Demographic Factors Associated with Tolerance for Disagreement: Implications on Recruitment of Road Traffic Controllers Bolajoko Ibiyemi MALOMO¹ Samuel Ekundayo OLADIPO² ¹²Department of Psychology, University of Lagos Corresponding Author Email: bmalomo@unilag.edu.ng Abstract The possibility for road traffic controllers and road users to express different perspectives on compliance to traffic rules and regulations is high. Thus, this may increase the likelihood for low tolerance and eventually a disagreement between the two groups. Disagreement between road traffic controllers and road users occur on a daily basis, but minimal research attention has been given to it; hence the need for this study. This study investigated age, gender, self-esteem and job locus of control as correlates of tolerance for disagreement among 458 randomly selected road traffic controllers in Nigeria. Participants’ age ranged between 20-35years (M=27.84; SD=1.98); Lowest academic qualification of participants was Ordinary National Diploma, while the highest was Master’s degree. Validated scales were used for data collection and data collected were analysed with appropriate test statistics using version 21 of the SPSS statistical software. Results suggested significant positive correlations between self-esteem (r = 0.221, p<0.01), job locus of control (r = 0.141, p<0.01) and tolerance for disagreement. However, age and gender of participants did not show any significant influence on their tolerance for disagreement. These results suggest that identification of self-esteem and locus of control among potential road traffic controllers will aid relevant agencies in introducing pre- intervention programs as a post screening measure for traffic controllers. It is recommended that psychological intervention through training be organised for newly recruited road traffic controllers and incumbent traffic controllers. Keywords: self-esteem, locus of control, tolerance for disagreement, road traffic controllers, recruitment, road traffic controllers Introduction Literature has affirmed some evidential reports about verbal aggression (Ojedokun, 2022), physical violence (da Silva, & Braga, 2018; Braga & Faria, 2011; Uildriks & van Reenen, 2003); threats (Quintal, 2015); deaths (Rippy & Jackson 2023; Fauna, 2015; Zadok, 2014); physical attacks (Adesagba, 2022) exhibited by road traffic controllers. Similarly, road users have been reported to have been guilty of attacking traffic controllers in ways that have aggravated traffic controllers to react undiplomatically to road users (Oyelade, 2024). Some investigators have conducted studies to identify psychological factors contributing to the aforementioned situations. For example, self- perception (Adesagba, 2022), low self-esteem and impaired emotional regulation (Anambra State Road Traffic Management Agency, 2024, November 5), locus of control and conflict behavior styles have been investigated (Lansdowne, 1987). The present study has gone further to investigate locus of control in addition to self-esteem and tolerance for disagreement. A search of literature could not find any association between locus of control and tolerance for disagreement. Rather, locus of control and conflict have received a lot of research attention. The additional demographic variables of gender and age are also hypothesized to be associated with tolerance for disagreement among road traffic controllers in Nigeria and across the globe. Additionally, participants for this study were newly recruited road traffic controllers. This is unique in two different ways; the outcome of this study can be applicable to decision on recruitment and selection of road traffic controllers and also the results will inform demographic considerations based mailto:bmalomo@unilag.edu.ng 132 on the variables investigated in this current study. Current studies on road traffic controllers investigated incumbent road traffic controllers. Tolerance for disagreement has been redefined as “the amount of disagreement an individual can tolerate before he or she perceives the existence of conflict in a relationship”. (McCrosky & Richmound 1992, p.125). Disagreements ensue basically because road safety controllers and road users each deny the other’s claim or point of view. When this is not properly handled, an ugly situation may develop. Offences such as speeding beyond acceptable limits, none-use of safety belts, conveying an unacceptable number of people in the vehicle at the same time and other offences are committed by drivers on a daily basis. In such situations, there will always be interactions between the road traffic controllers and road users whereby the road traffic controllers perform their responsibilities with the intention of ensuring that traffic rules and regulations are obeyed. As affirmed by Teven, et al. (2009), interactions between people in a relationship more often than not leads to disagreement although disagreement may not necessarily lead to destructive consequences and may in fact be constructive and not compromise the peaceful existence of any relationship (Angoury, 2012). Disagreement has been defined as “a difference of opinion on substantive or procedural matters” (Knutson et al., 1978). This study embarks on investigating the relationship between self-esteem, locus of control, gender, age and tolerance for disagreement among road traffic controllers. As at the time of this present study, an online search of literature on the correlates of tolerance for disagreement among newly recruited road traffic controllers yielded few studies. A search in literature for studies on tolerance for disagreement in traffic situations produced numerous articles relating to stress among traffic controllers, specifically police controllers. This is believed to be a major gap in literature because other road traffic controllers who are not police officers, and road users are constantly interacting with each other on a daily basis on the road. In this study, participants were selected from Federal Road Safety Corps recruits undergoing training. Road traffic controllers are inundated with challenges typical of on-road driving situations. Long hours of patrolling the highways and major roads in the cities can be a source of low tolerance for disagreement due to stress. The development of stress (Smith & Johnson, 2021; Chatterjee & Srivastava, 2008) by road traffic controllers have been investigated extensively. Several other variables that have been investigated extensively include: exposure to noise (Sliman, et al., 2015) and pollution (Kamal, et al., 2014). Additionally, these studies investigated Police traffic controllers but none investigated other agencies that monitor and enforce road traffic rules and regulations. The possibility for road traffic controllers and road users to express different perspectives on compliance to traffic rules and regulations is high. Thus, this may increase the likelihood for low tolerance and eventually a disagreement between the two groups. Tolerance is a personal attribute that explains the level of people’s positive or negative disposition to the views of others. When the views of an individual are opposed to those of others, it leads to disagreement especially so when the threshold for tolerance is low. The continued interaction between road traffic controllers and road users will be a recurring event because the possibility of the commission of traffic violations and offences on a daily basis all over the world will be high. In Nigeria, majority of drivers disrespect traffic rules and regulations (Uhegbu & Tight, 2021). If the road traffic controllers are to perform their role as law enforcers, then disagreement with road users may be inevitable because road users commit offences regularly with reasons given for 133 such offences. By investigating tolerance for disagreement among road traffic controllers, the management of the lead agency for road safety will be enabled to utilize the findings of the investigation for recruitment and selection processes. Ultimately, this may ensure that t r a f f i c controllers that possess acceptable level of tolerance for disagreement will be selected for employment and for those whose tolerance for disagreement is low, appropriate intervention strategies can be developed. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between self-esteem, locus of control, gender and age and tolerance for disagreement. The psychological variables consist of job locus of control and self-esteem, while the demographic variables are age and gender. The construct, Tolerance for Disagreement was developed by Knutson, et al. (1978) and represents the personality trait that endures throughout life span in individuals (Knutson, et al., 1978). Basically, it was developed to reveal the reasons why some individuals are more prone to disagreements than others. It is a common phenomenon to experience disagreements in social, political (Testa, Hibbing & Ritchie, 2014) as well as in business (Richmond & McCroskey, 1979) relationships. Tolerance for disagreement has been studied in organizational settings to understand its relationship with employee satisfaction (Richmond & McCroskey, 1979). This is because in organizational settings, interaction is a common occurrence and where two or more people are associated in a relationship, disagreement may be unavoidable. When road traffic controllers apprehend road users for committing traffic offences, the approach utilised by the traffic controllers to communicate with the traffic offenders may determine the onset of disagreement between the two parties. In this case, tolerance for disagreement suggests the level of endurance exhibited by the traffic officer towards the opinion of the road user regarding the offence committed. Empirical studies on tolerance for disagreement are limited. However, the outcome of disagreement between two individuals could either be positive or negative depending on the level of tolerance for disagreement (Richmond & McCroskey, 1979) between the parties. The conclusion by McCroskey and Wheeless (1976) is that disagreement can be amicably resolved when the degree of “affinity” between the disagreeing parties is increased. The result obtained in this study will fill a gap in traffic literature where studies on the level of tolerance for disagreement possessed by road traffic controllers is sparse. Additionally, the findings of this study will serve as reference point for other researchers who may be willing to investigate the correlates of tolerance for disagreement among road traffic controllers. The benefits of the outcome of this study will be far reaching because if individual level of tolerance for disagreement vary, the identification of predisposing variables will be of immense contribution to knowledge. Self-esteem refers to an individual’s appraisal of his or her abilities, self-worth (Blascovich & Tomaka, 1991), feelings and overall sense of value. Self-esteem therefore may serve as a motivator of human behavior and can also be perceived as the outcome of occupational successes and interpersonal relationships (Ladipo et al. 2014; Baumeister,\ et al. (2003). According to McCrae and Costa (1988), self-esteem is stable across situations but this is contrary to the assertion of Gergen (1971) who muted a different opinion on the stability of the sense of worth of an individual. One consensus however is the existence of two levels of self-esteem: high and low. Individuals high in self-esteem have been associated with feelings of happiness (Baumeister, et al., 2003; Harter, 1993); confidence; which motivates people to be bold enough to speak while in a group of people and challenge group approach (Baumeister, 134 et al., 2003); high tolerance for criticism and utilizing non problematic communication methods (Raynes, 2001); and sense of identity and well-being, (Guindon 1994). Individuals low in self-esteem therefore should be expected to have low tolerance for criticism and may thereby be quick to disagree with people who share a different opinion to theirs. This assertion is reiterated by Hamachek (1987) who concurs to the fact that individuals with low self-esteem rarely change their opinion on issues and would rather fault other people. Studies on the relationship between self-esteem and performance at work has revealed that employees with low self-esteem are less creative, have mental challenges and thus low work performance (Kumar, 2017), less ambitious and are unlikely to treat other people with respect (Branden, 1993). Research outcomes have also indicated that people with low self-esteem will find a way of communicating their feelings. For instance, individuals with low self-esteem communicate by yelling, bullying and are argumentative (Raynes, 2001). This they do to hide the inadequacies they feel. Whelpley and McDaniel (2016) reported that there was a significant relationship between self - esteem and counter productive work behavior. Paradoxically, as revealed by some research studies, individuals with high self-esteem who may seem to be confident may also be critical of other people’s opinion because they believe so much in themselves. This may reflect in their style of communication. For instance, Rosenberg (1965) reported that self-esteem correlated positively with hostility and bullying. This may be connected to the fact that people with high self-esteem are confident to speak up and are critical of other people. This present study sought to find out if self-esteem correlates with tolerance for disagreement. This will enable the prediction of the level of tolerance for disagreement possessed by individuals based on their self-esteem. Locus of control is a term that was first credited to Rotter (1966). It is a psychological concept that highlights the notion that individuals readily attribute internal and external sources as being responsible for their behaviour. Locus of control represents the basis on which people explain the source of the motivation that spurs them on to do what they do. For instance, the occurrence of an automobile accident may be attributed to inattention on the part of the driver (internal) or the unskillful driving of other drivers (external) (Halpent & Hill, 2010). This suggests that locus of control requires the adequate understanding of one’s environment; hence, the initial perception that locus of control originated from Social Learning Theory (Rotter, 1966; Rubin, 1993). The connection between locus of control and social leaning theory is that the experiences of an individual determines his or her locus of control. However, due to the perception of one’s control of life’s events over a period of time, locus of control develops and becomes a trait. Rotter (1966) identified and differentiated two levels of locus of control; internal and external locus of control which can also be referred to as high and low, and it is a variable that is measured along a continuum. Internal locus of control presupposes that individuals high on it will exude lasting confidence in dealing with their environment (Kobassa & Puccetti, 1983). For instance, Grimes et al. (2004); Miller, Fitch and Marshall (2003) reported that when internal locus of control is dominant in a person, life’s stressful situations can be successfully managed with problem-solving strategies. External locus of control on the other hand will be dominant in an individual when the consequences of that person’s actions are attributed to external factors such as fate or chance and external powers (Swart, 2004). As a result, the feelings of depression 135 (Jaffe, 1998), anger, frustration and aggression (Stevens, 2002) develops in individuals with external locus of control because of the hopelessness of not been able to handle life’s situations. The behavior of people high on external locus of control are associated with risks related with offending behaviors and are unpredictable because of their inability to control environmental factors that determine their behavior ((Tyler et al., 2020). Thus, individuals whose actions are attributed to external events such as stress report higher negative moods than individuals who attribute events in their lives to be under their control (Arsenault et al., 1991). This affirms the association of locus of control and personality characteristics. While personality characteristics and job locus of control have received some attention (Darshani, 2014), research studies on job locus of control and tolerance for disagreement is sparse. The presence and services of road traffic controllers on Nigerian highways are highly essential owing to such situations as traffic logjams and non-compliance to traffic rules and regulations by road users (Popoola et al. 2013). This can be attributed to factors such as bad roads, on-going road construction, upsurge in the volume of vehicles, inadequate road network to accommodate the volume of vehicles, social and cultural trips and road user behavior. Research into the institutional dimensions of road safety in Nigeria is therefore long overdue. The functions of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the leading road safety agency in Nigeria are numerous. However, these functions are people-related. In other words, the smooth interaction of the FRSC controllers with the different categories of active road users determines the successful implementation of the policies formulated by the agency. Section 10(2) of the FRSC (Establishment Act) 2007 outlines among other things the functions of the FRSC as: preventing road crashes, determining and enforcing speed limits, educating drivers and other road users on the proper use of the highways and formulating policies to promote road safety. In all of these functions, interaction with road users is paramount because the use of the automobile and other related means of transportation has become one of the characteristic lifestyle of modern day man. The need to regulate vehicular movement in order to reduce road accidents was reiterated by the Vice-President of Sierra Leone, Alhaji Sam Sumana at the 2nd West African Road Safety Organization Conference (2010). Regulating the volume of vehicles on existing roads is necessary because over the years, almost all countries across the globe have witnessed an upsurge in the number of vehicles on the highways with its attendant negative consequences outweighing the benefits. For example, in India, economic growth and progress enabled the purchase of vehicles by more individuals and corporate entities (Mittall, 2008). Active Traffic Management (ATM) techniques such as variable speed limits, hard - shoulder running and ramp-metering controller which are practiced in countries such as Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States to reduce traffic accidents are hard to come by in Nigeria. Also, computerised system monitors, sensor loops and electronic speed limit signs have been adopted on highways in the U.K. The installation of these monitoring systems has reduced the rate of accidents on highways from over five accidents a month to 1.5 accidents per month on average in those countries (Meikle, 2007). In the absence of ATM techniques in Nigeria, traffic flow on the highways in 136 Nigeria is left to the management of road traffic controllers and inadequate road signs that are displayed in languages that may not be understood by all road users. These controllers usually are limited in number and work with inadequate equipment. Low tolerance for disagreement among RTO in Nigeria may be common for the following reasons: presence of aggressive drivers, drunk drivers, road users who break traffic rules, kidnappers and so on. The tropical weather conditions take its toll on RTO due to fatigue and stressful emotions. These road situations may aggravate their reduced tolerance for disagreement with road users because people have limits above which they cannot tolerate further discomfort (Edward, 2002). In a bid to educate road users, a disagreement may occur which requires the application of personal traits to deal with the situation. Research Hypotheses The following research hypotheses were tested: 1. There will be significant correlations among locus of control, self-esteem and tolerance for disagreement among road traffic controllers. 2. Male participants will significantly score higher on tolerance for disagreement than female participants. 3. Road traffic controllers between 20-27 years of age will score significantly higher on tolerance for disagreement than road traffic controllers between 28-35years. Method Design and participants This study utilised a survey research design. Thus, participants who volunteered to participate in this study consisted of 458 newly recruited non-police, traffic agents who were randomly selected during a training programme in Nigeria. The ages ranged between 20- 35years (M=27.84; SD=1.98). A total of 371 (81%) of the participants were males while 87 (19%) (M=1.19; SD=.39) were females. Married participants were 47 while single participants were 411. Lowest academic qualification of participants was Ordinary National Diploma, while the highest was Master’s degree. The instruments of data collection consisted of three validated scales. The 15-item Tolerance for Disagreement Scale developed by Teven, McCroskey and Richmond (1998); the 10-item Self-esteem Scale developed by Rosemberg (1965) and the 17-item Job Locus of Control Scale developed by Rotter (1966). Data collected was analysed with appropriate test statistics using version 21 of the SPSS statistical software. The first hypothesis was analysed using correlation statistic, while the second and third hypotheses were analysed using the t- test for independent samples by Knutson, McCroskey, Knutson and Hurt, (1978). 137 Results Table 1. Summary of descriptive values on gender, age, marital status, religion, educational qualification, and ethnicity N % n % n % Male 371 81 Christians 344 75.2 Hausa 108 23.6 Female 87 19 Muslims 110 24 Ibo 120 26.2 20 – 27yrs Traditionalists 2 .4 Yoruba 106 23.1 Age 28 – 35yrs Others 2 .4 Others 124 27.1 Single 411 89.7 OND 3 .7 Married 47 10.3 HND 260 56.7 Ist Degree 190 41.5 MSc 5 1.1 Hypothesis 1: There will be significant positive correlation among psycho-social variables and tolerance for disagreement among road traffic controllers. Table 2. Correlation matrix on all variables of study Sex Age Marital status Family Type Religious affiliation Educational. qualification Ethnicity Tolerance for disagreement Self- esteem Age -.198** Marital status -.109* .139** Family type .123** -.116* -.827** Religious affiliation -.184** .016 .161** -.177** Educ qualifica -.110* .148** .038 -.011 .064 Ethnicity -.038 .025 -.142** .139** -.307** .052 Tolerance for disagreement -.070 -.012 .109* -.066 .146** .028 -.117* Self-esteem -.131** -.021 -.017 .026 .031 -.030 .031 .221** Job locus of control .004 .043 .051 -.025 .171** .039 -.139** .141** .103* **Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2- tailed) The first hypothesis which tested the significant positive correlations between psycho- social variables and tolerance for disagreement indicated significant and positive 138 correlations. Self-esteem correlated positively (r = 0.221, p<0.01) with tolerance for disagreement which implies that the higher the level of one’s self -esteem, the higher the individual will most likely exhibit high tolerance for disagreement. Job locus of control also correlated positively (r = 0.141, p<0.01) with tolerance for disagreement which implies that the more an individual perceives that his job is influenced by external factors, the higher will be his level of tolerance for disagreement. The second hypothesis which stated that male participants will significantly score higher on tolerance for disagreement than female participants indicated no significant differences in scores (M=38.04, SD=4.743; M=37.20, SD=4.665). This means that males and females are comparable on their tolerance for disagreement. In other words, the condition of being male or female does not necessarily impact on participants’ level of tolerance for disagreement. Table 3. Summary of t-test for independent samples for male and female participants Variable Gender N Mean SD df t p Tolerance for disagreement Male 370 38.04 4.743 455 1.495 .934 Female 87 37.20 4.665 1.511 p>.05 The third hypothesis which stated that road traffic controllers between the ages of 20- 27years will score significantly higher on tolerance for disagreement than road traffic controllers between the ages of 28-35years. Results indicated no significant mean differences between the two age groups. Thus, participants aged between 20-27 years did not score significantly higher on tolerance for disagreement than participants between 28-35 years (M=38.09; SD=5.248, M= 37.74; SD=4.387) respectively. This means that participants who are older and younger will exhibit the same level of tolerance for disagreement. Table 4. Summary t-test for independent samples for age Variable Age N Mean SD df t p Tolerance for disagreement 20-27 177 38.09 5.248 455 .764 .043 28-35 270 37.74 4.384 .734 p>.05 Discussion The objective of this study was to fill a gap in literature on the construct of tolerance for disagreement amongst road traffic controllers, which to the best knowledge of this researcher has scarce literature content. It is expected that the relationship between the variables of self-esteem, locus of control, gender, age and tolerance for disagreement will be identified and utilised for further studies. The table of correlations indicated significant positive correlations between self-esteem and tolerance for disagreement. The implication of this finding is that road traffic controllers who are high on self-esteem will also be highly tolerant of disagreement. This result is supported by Ikenyei (2020), Randolph (2016), and who affirmed that disrespect and perceived humiliation, which can be triggered by low self-esteem may promote aggression among traffic controllers when interacting with road users. Baby (2016) reported high levels of self-esteem, resilience and tolerance for disagreement scores at the same time. 139 Furthermore, Ojedokun et al. (2022) affirmed that law enforcement controllers with high tolerance for disagreement will be less aggressive. This empirical finding is of utmost importance to the selection of traffic controllers because interaction between road users and road traffic controllers are inevitable. Akinade et all (2020) posits that high self- esteem has a good association with conflict resolution skills, a concept relatable to tolerance for disagreement. For Baumeister et al. (2018), high self-esteem may lead to arrogance when involved with someone whose views differs. This scenario may play out with road users and road traffic controllers. The result of this current study is an affirmation that high self-esteem is necessary pre-requisite for recruiting road traffic controllers. Moreover, literature on self-esteem and tolerance for disagreement is scarce hence this study has filled a gap in that area. The behaviour of Nigerian drivers on the highways is associated with all forms of traffic offences ranging from speeding beyond acceptable limits to driving through red traffic lights. Apprehending such drivers by law enforcement agents more often than not results in verbal exchanges which may degenerate into arguments and disagreements. The approach adopted by the law enforcement agents, which may be determined by the level of tolerance for disagreement possessed by the traffic officer goes a long way in determining the outcome of the situation. It is pertinent therefore that high premium be placed on the controllers who are recruited as road traffic controllers. Identifying the level of self-esteem of such controllers prior to employment will inform employers their level of tolerance for disagreement. Such controllers who are high on self-esteem will possess high tolerance for disagreement thereby exuding self- confidence (Rosemberg, 1965) which makes it easier to deal with other people. Individuals with low self-esteem on the other hand are less likely to treat other people with respect (Branden, 1993) and this may be expressed in behavious like yelling, whining and intimidation which are behaviours that are counterproductive when dealing with the public (Branden, 1993). People with high self-esteem have also been found to display a high level of forgiveness, (Turnage et al., 2011). When this is related to road traffic controllers however, this may also be counterproductive because forgiving offenders of traffic offences may result in more offences being committed. On the negative end, self-esteem, problematic communication styles and aggressive traits have been associated (Baumeister, Heatherton & Tice, 1993). This result should therefore be used with caution. Job locus of control also correlated positively with tolerance for disagreement which implies that the more an individual perceives that his/her job is influenced by external factors, the higher will be his level of tolerance for disagreement. This finding is germane going by the various environmental challenges experienced by road traffic controllers and also the behaviour and driving culture of majority of Nigerian drivers. For instance, harsh weather conditions, inadequate road monitoring equipment, bad roads, with odd and long working hours are common factors that may serve as externals. If therefore the road traffic controllers experience and accept these challenges as common occurrences associated with their jobs, the likelihood that their tolerance for disagreement will be high is guaranteed. The implication of this is that if the tolerance for disagreement of the road traffic controllers is high, differences in opinion expressed by both the controllers and road users regarding road safety and road traffic offences committed will be adequately 140 handled. Consequently, negative outcomes such as verbal aggressiveness often exhibited by individuals low in tolerance for disagreement (Teven et al., 2009) will be reduced to the barest minimum in the case of road traffic controllers who are high on external locus of control. This finding do not lend support to some past research findings (Taylor, 2010). For instance, research indicates that individuals who are high on internal locus of control are good communicators, would endeavour to initiate communication and seek to commit themselves to a satisfactory relationship (Rubin & Rubin, 1992). The variation in the findings may be attributed to sample characteristics. To the best knowledge of the authors of this present study, no study has investigated the relationship between self-esteem, locus of control and tolerance for disagreement. The ability of self-esteem and job locus of control to predict the level of tolerance for disagreement among road traffic controllers has been confirmed in this study. Relevant authorities can avail themselves of this opportunity by making efforts to utilize appropriate tests of locus of control in predicting the level of tolerance for disagreement of their personnel. The demographic factors of gender and age did not impact on the level of tolerance for disagreement. In this study, 81 percent of the participants were males while 19 percent of the participants were females. The wide gap in the ratio of females to males should ordinarily indicate differences in the level of tolerance for disagreement. The reason for the indifference may be attributable to acquiescence; the need to portray positive attributes of the self on behalf of the participants. The differences in the level of tolerance for disagreement was also not significant among all ages probably because the age range was insignificant for differences to be indicated. It is recommended that psychological intervention through training be organised for recruited road traffic controllers (WHO, 2022). Recommended training on tolerance for disagreement, stress avoidance, inculcating self-esteem and developing locus of control behaviors is advised. Stakeholders are encouraged to focus on identifying these variables at pre-arranged sessions for experienced traffic controllers. Monthly seminars and sensitising forum should be organised to engage road traffic controllers and road users for the purpose of airing grievances, complaints, exchange of ideas and recommendation for better interaction of stakeholders. Conclusion The outcome of this study suggests that self-esteem and locus of control are significant variables when associated with tolerance for disagreement. Of utmost importance is the relevance of these variables for recruitment of road traffic controllers. If high self -esteem is positively correlated to high tolerance for disagreement, employers can endeavor to intervene in shoring up the self-esteem of employees through training and intervention. Further differences in gender and age were not related to tolerance for disagreement. In essence, other factors may be needed to act as intervening variables for gender and age. 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