The development of self-consciousness and the questioning of identity appear to be closely linked in literary history and theory. The postmodernist assumption that the self is only a heterogeneous cultural construct is unwarranted. Besides inner experience, there is an objective basis for the singularity of the self in biology, psychoanalysis and psychology. The exploration of the modes of consciousness and imagination mirrored in literary creation can bring evidence of structures and correlations unnoticed in personality studies. The presence and permanent nature of individual traits and their characteristic interrelations may be detected in the works of the English Metaphysical poets and John Milton.

In the course of European integration, many transnational institutions representing national universities, research organizations and industrial research have been established over the last decades. The purpose of this article is to give an empirical account of the role of transnational organizations in European science policy.

The reproductive capacity of our species is far in excess of its needs. If all women used their reproductive potential to the full they would give birth to about 15 children on average. As averages of 6 or 7 were once sufficient to compensate for the high level of mortality, and higher numbers would have led to unacceptably high levels of population growth, that, presumably, is the level of fertility found in traditional European societies and in developing countries before the onset of fertility decline. In European societies, fertility decline began in the 19th century. It was a reaction to the disequilibrium that resulted from the long-term decline in mortality. However, a clear sequence cannot always be established. The assumption that prevailed in the 1950s and 1960s that this demographic transition, as it is customarily called, would lead to a new equilibrium appears not to have been well founded. Average family size has declined to such low levels that the age structure is seriously affected and the replacement of generations is no longer assured. A new disequilibrium has resulted. If this is a temporary phenomenon it is not an important issue. However, if it has to be assumed that future generations will also limit their reproduction to not more than 10% of their potential, the perspective is different. Even with continued high levels of immigration, population decline will then become inevitable. While some argue this will turn out to be beneficial, it is not without disadvantages.

To the scientist, personality is the complexity of psychological structures and processes that contribute to the unity and continuity of individual conduct and experience. Personality psychologists explore the mechanisms that mediate person–environment transactions and the ways in which these psychological mechanisms give rise to the uniqueness of each person. This paper reviews the history of the discipline of personality psychology and the current status of the field. It urges investigators to attend to the proactive, self-regulatory features of personality. People are self-organizing, proactive beings, not just reactive organisms. Self-reflective and self-regulatory capabilities enable people to shape the nature of their experiences and life paths. This potentialist view of personality enables one to identify and promote the social conditions required for the full realization of human capacities.

This exploratory paper aims to map out new research challenges centring around the theme of sustainable transport. The research needs on mobility behaviour and policy measures are also described. The paper concludes with an outline of new thinking in a largely unexplored research area.

Concepts, findings and methodological considerations regarding the influence of social circumstances on psychological functioning are selectively reviewed with respect to five different types of possible effect deriving from: the impact of social connotation or meaning of risk/protective factors; social comparison effects; compositional effects deriving from the make-up of a social group; a social contextual effect reflecting the ethos of a broader social environment; and a social group characteristics effect stemming from the behaviour/values of a peer group.