ABSTRACT
Social intelligence usually refers to social skills and the ability to understand one's own and others' reactions. An important part of psychology is the study of variations in how we think, feel, and react. This chapter discusses both individual differences in personality and mental health and reactions to everyday stress and more significant incidents. Most techniques for personality characteristic measurements use statements combined with a point scale ranging from one to five, to which subjects note their level of agreement. Besides the five-factor model (FFM) and its associated empirical systems, specific traits are often used to describe personalities or aspects thereof, which may be of importance in some situations. These traits are typically tied to certain theories, or are particularly suited to explain reactions (or predict behavior) in certain situations. The following are examples of such traits: Type A behavior, locus of control (LOC), psychological resilience, hardiness, and social intelligence. Finally, the chapter investigates common psychological reactions in passengers.
