The effect of people reclining their seat can result in various negative emotions.

A massive nine out of 10 travellers want to see an end to reclining seats on planes, according to the latest international survey by travel comparison website Skyscanner.net.

Ninety-one per cent of people who took part in the survey said short-haul flights should either ban or set times for seat reclining.

It also found that of over 1,000 flyers surveyed, 43 per cent even felt that long-haul flights should implement set times when passengers are permitted to recline their seat.

Almost a third of those surveyed said a reclined seat had caused them discomfort, and three per cent revealed they’d even suffered an injury.

Furthermore, a ban could well be music to the ears of cabin crew, with over 60 per cent of international cabin crew surveyed saying they have been involved in, or witness to, an argument between passengers on the subject of reclined seats.

“The strong support for a change in reclined seat procedures makes sense,” says psychologist Becky Spelman, clinical director at the Private Therapy Clinic in Harley Street, London.

“The effect of people reclining their seat can result in various negative emotions such as anger, stress, anxiety, frustration and upset for the passenger behind them. This emotional impact can result in a whole range of unhelpful behaviours, including air rage.

“This is partly because there are two general personality types while travelling. There’s the ‘altruistic soul’, who is considerate of others, and the ‘selfish ego’, the latter of which will look to increase their comfort at the expense of others.”

In fact, the Skyscanner survey found that 70 per cent of selfish egos would not be put off reclining their seat even if the person behind was pregnant, while 80 per cent wouldn’t care if the person behind was elderly or frail.

Women aged 18-24 were the most likely to display ‘altruistic soul’ tendencies in the survey, while men over the age of 35 were more likely to exhibit ‘selfish ego’ characteristics.

70 per cent of ‘selfish egos’ would not be put off reclining their seat even if the person behind was pregnant

While negative emotions could be reduced by a fellow passenger asking permission to recline their seat, the study found that a third of passengers are too worried about the reaction they’d receive, and most people (64 per cent) have never done so.

“With competing ‘selfish egos’ and ‘altruistic souls’, set times for seat reclining on planes could actually make for an improved experience for passengers” says Dr Spelman.

“Such rules tend to ensure better social cohesion, as people are conditioned to obey boundaries. While these rules place a limit on the personal choice passengers have over their own comfort, people will generally adhere to them, accepting that it is fair. This could lead to a more pleasant flying experience for the majority.”