Distinct Behavioral Components Research Articles

Psychological mediators of avoidance and endurance behavior after concussion.

The avoidance-endurance model (AEM) proposes multiple pathways from acute to chronic pain, with distinct cognitive and behavioral components in each pathway. The AEM may also be applicable to persistent symptoms after concussion. In this study, we tested the AEM as an explanatory framework for concussion outcomes, by using mediation analyses through the proposed psychological mechanisms. Based on the AEM, we hypothesized that postconcussion symptoms would significantly predict avoidance behavior through catastrophizing, and endurance behavior through thought suppression and self-distraction. We recruited 84 adults seeking treatment at 2 outpatient concussion clinics (M = 41.8 years old, 63% female) who completed measures of postconcussion symptoms, catastrophizing, thought suppression, "self-distraction" (Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire "Act with Awareness" Scale reverse-scored), avoidance behavior, and endurance behavior at an average of 17.8 weeks postconcussion. We conducted 3 mediation analyses to assess each of the AEM pathways. We found a significant indirect effect of postconcussion symptoms on avoidance behavior through catastrophizing (ab = .113 (.036), 95% CI [.053, .195]). The indirect effects of postconcussion symptoms on endurance behavior through thought suppression (ab = .011 (.012), 90% CI [.002, .035]) and "self-distraction" (ab = .003 (.009), 90% CI [.008, .022]) were not statistically significant. Results supported the catastrophizing-avoidance pathway in concussion, but not the thought-suppression-endurance or self-distraction-endurance pathways. Therefore, catastrophic thinking about concussion symptoms may be an appropriate treatment target for individuals who exhibit fear-avoidance behavior. Further research is needed to establish whether thought suppression and self-distraction are relevant for interventions aimed at reducing excessive endurance behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

An integrative development-in-sociocultural-context model for children's engagement in learning.

The construct of engagement provides a holistic lens for understanding how children interact with learning activities, with distinct behavioral, emotional-affective, and cognitive components forming a multidimensional engagement profile for each child. As the understanding of engagement and recognition of its complexity grow, a pressing need has emerged for a synthetic, coherent review that simultaneously integrates extant literature and clarifies the conceptualization of engagement, identifies its key facilitators and consequences, and proffers a theoretical framework that elaborates on how engagement functions. Using a developmental-contextual approach, this article integrates empirical and theoretical scholarship to illustrate how engagement is produced by developmental and relational processes involving transactions across multiple ecologies. The integrative model of engagement offers a comprehensive perspective on the multiple pathways-psychological, cognitive, social, and cultural-underlying the development of children's engagement. Conceptualizing engagement as a multidimensional construct shaped by interactions between an individual and the environment enriches the field's understanding of the personal, contextual, and sociocultural factors that foster or undermine engagement. This framing also enhances understanding of the psychosocial mechanisms through which learning environments influence engagement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Sexual attraction: a review of bumblebee male pheromones.

Males of many bumblebee species exhibit a conspicuous pre-mating behavior with two distinct behavioral components: scent marking and patrol flying. The marking pheromone is produced by the cephalic part of the labial gland (CLG). As far as is known, the CLG secretion is species specific, and it usually consists of two types of compounds: (i) straight-chain aliphatic alcohols, aldehydes or esters, and (ii) acyclic mono-, sesqui- and diterpenes (alcohols or acetates). Here, we summarize data from the literature reporting chemical composition of the CLG secretions of more than 80 bumblebee species. Similarities and differences within and between subgenera are discussed in the context of biosynthetic pathways and evolution.

Systems genetics of sensation seeking.

Sensation seeking is a multifaceted, heritable trait which predicts the development of substance use and abuse in humans; similar phenomena have been observed in rodents. Genetic correlations among sensation seeking and substance use indicate shared biological mechanisms, but the genes and networks underlying these relationships remain elusive. Here, we used a systems genetics approach in the BXD recombinant inbred mouse panel to identify shared genetic mechanisms underlying substance use and preference for sensory stimuli, an intermediate phenotype of sensation seeking. Using the operant sensation seeking (OSS) paradigm, we quantified preference for sensory stimuli in 120 male and 127 female mice from 62 BXD strains and the C57BL/6J and DBA/2J founder strains. We used relative preference for the active and inactive levers to dissociate preference for sensory stimuli from locomotion and exploration phenotypes. We identified genomic regions on chromosome 4 (155.236‐155.742 Mb) and chromosome 13 (72.969‐89.423 Mb) associated with distinct behavioral components of OSS. Using publicly available behavioral data and mRNA expression data from brain regions involved in reward processing, we identified (a) genes within these behavioral QTL exhibiting genome‐wide significant cis‐eQTL and (b) genetic correlations among OSS phenotypes, ethanol phenotypes and mRNA expression. From these analyses, we nominated positional candidates for behavioral QTL associated with distinct OSS phenotypes including Gnb1 and Mef2c. Genetic covariation of Gnb1 expression, preference for sensory stimuli and multiple ethanol phenotypes suggest that heritable variation in Gnb1 expression in reward circuitry partially underlies the widely reported relationship between sensation seeking and substance use.

Partial least squares structural equation modeling of chemistry attitude in introductory college chemistry

Students’ decisions to enter or persist in STEM courses is linked with their affective domain. The influence of factors impacting students’ affective domain in introductory college chemistry classes, such as attitude, is often overlooked by instructors, who instead focus on students’ mathematical abilities as sole predictors of academic achievement. The current academic barrier to enrollment in introductory college chemistry classes is typically a passing grade in a mathematics prerequisite class. However, mathematical ability is only a piece of the puzzle in predicting preparedness for college chemistry. Herein, students’ attitude toward the subject of chemistry was measured using the original Attitudes toward the Subject of Chemistry Inventory (ASCI). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to chart and monitor the development of students’ attitude toward the subject of chemistry during an introductory college chemistry course. Results from PLS-SEM support a 3-factor (intellectual accessibility,emotional satisfaction, andinterestandutility) structure, which could signal the distinct cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of attitude, according to its theoretical tripartite framework. Evidence of a low-involvement hierarchy of attitude effect is also presented herein. This study provides a pathway for instructors to identify at-risk students, exhibiting low affective characteristics, early in a course so that academic interventions are feasible. The results presented here have implications for the design and implementation of teaching strategies geared toward optimizing student achievement in introductory college chemistry.

The Romantic Jealousy as Multidimensional Construct: A Study on the Italian Short Form of the Multidimensional Jealousy Scale

Background:Romantic jealousy is a complex construct composed of several dimensions. Given the multidimensional nature of romantic jealousy, it would be useful to have a measurement scale that would take into account its several components.Objective:The aims of the present study were to provide the Italian adaptation of the Short Form of the Multidimensional Jealousy Scale (SF-MJS - Elphinson, Feeney & Noller, 2011) verifying its factorial structure, reliability, and predictive validity. Finally, gender differences in the tree main dimensions of romantic jealousy- cognitive, emotional and behavioral- were explored.Method:361 participants (168 males and 193 females), aged 20 to 40 (M = 26.50; SD = 4.99) were recruited. A confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) was performed to test the multidimensional structure of the scale. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to verify the reliability. The predictive validity was assessed examining associations between different dimensions of the romantic jealousy and insecure romantic attachment. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was implemented in order to verify gender differences.Results:Confirmatory factor analyses verified the three-factor structure, supporting the presence of these distinct latent constructs, assessing cognitive, emotional and behavioral components of romantic jealousy. The internal consistency coefficients were satisfactory for all the three factors of the scale, and ranged from .80 to .85. Consistent evidence supported the predictive validity of the ISF-MJS. Significant gender differences were registered.Conclusion:The ISF-MJS constitutes a reliable instrument for measuring romantic jealousy in the Italian context. Limitations, strengths, and further development of the present study are discussed.

Structural white-matter connections mediating distinct behavioral components of spatial neglect in right brain-damaged patients

Spatial neglect is a neuropsychological syndrome in which patients fail to perceive and orient to stimuli located in the space contralateral to the lesioned hemisphere. It is characterized by a wide heterogeneity in clinical symptoms which can be grouped into distinct behavioral components correlating with different lesion sites. Moreover, damage to white-matter (WM) fiber tracts has been suggested to disconnect brain networks that mediate different functions associated with spatial cognition and attention. However, it remains unclear what WM pathways are associated with functionally dissociable neglect components. In this study we examined nine patients with a focal right hemisphere stroke using a series of neuropsychological tests and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in order to disentangle the role of specific WM pathways in neglect symptoms. First, following previous work, the behavioral test scores of patients were factorized into three independent components reflecting perceptual, exploratory, and object-centered deficits in spatial awareness. We then examined the structural neural substrates of these components by correlating indices of WM integrity (fractional anisotropy) with the severity of deficits along each profile. Several locations in the right parietal and frontal WM correlated with neuropsychological scores. Fiber tracts projecting from these locations indicated that posterior parts of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), as well as nearby callosal fibers connecting ipsilateral and contralateral parietal areas, were associated with perceptual spatial deficits, whereas more anterior parts of SLF and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) were predominantly associated with object-centered deficits. In addition, connections between frontal areas and superior colliculus were found to be associated with the exploratory deficits. Our results provide novel support to the view that neglect may result from disconnection lesions in distributed brain networks, but also extend these notions by highlighting the role of dissociable circuits in different functional components of the neglect syndrome. However these preliminary findings require replication with larger samples of patients.

Parent-specific reciprocity from infancy to adolescence shapes children's social competence and dialogical skills

Reciprocity – the capacity to engage in social exchange that integrates inputs from multiple partners into a unified social event – is a cornerstone of adaptive social life that is learned within dyad-specific attachments during an early period of neuroplasticity. Yet, very little research traced the expression of children’s reciprocity with their mother and father in relation to long-term outcomes. Guided by evolutionary models, we followed mothers, fathers, and their firstborn child longitudinally and observed mother–child and father–child reciprocity in infancy, preschool, and adolescence. In preschool, children’s social competence, aggression, and prosocial behavior were observed at kindergarten. In adolescence, children’s dialogical skills were assessed during positive and conflict interactions with same-sex best friends. Father–child and mother–child reciprocity were individually stable, inter-related at each stage, and consisted of distinct behavioral components. Structural equation modeling indicated that early maternal and paternal reciprocity were each uniquely predictive of social competence and lower aggression in preschool, which, in turn, shaped dialogical skills in adolescence. Father–adolescent reciprocity contributed to the dialogical negotiation of conflict, whereas mother–adolescent reciprocity predicted adolescents’ dialogical skills during positive exchanges. Results highlight the role of parent–child reciprocity in shaping children’s social collaboration and intimate relationships with non-kin members of their social world.

Modular genetic control of innate behaviors

Many complex behaviors are genetically hardwired. Based on previous findings on genetic control of mating and other behaviors in invertebrate and mammalian systems, I suggest that genetic control of complex behaviors is modular: first, dedicated genes specify different behavioral patterns; secondly, separable genetic networks govern distinct behavioral components. I speculate that modular genetic encoding of complex behaviors may in part reflect modularity in brain development and function. Editor's suggested further reading in BioEssays From songs to synapses: Molecular mechanisms of birdsong memory Abstract.

Group-Focused and Differentiated Individual-Focused Empowering Leadership in R&D teams

Recent research suggests that there are two distinct behavioral components of leadership: 1) those targeted at influencing the group as a whole(group-focused); and 2) those aimed at individual grou...

Extinction under a behavioral microscope: Isolating the sources of decline in operant response rate

Extinction performance is often used to assess underlying psychological processes without the interference of reinforcement. For example, in the extinction/reinstatement paradigm, motivation to seek drug is assessed by measuring responding elicited by drug-associated cues without drug reinforcement. However, extinction performance is governed by several psychological processes that involve motivation, memory, learning, and motoric functions. These processes are confounded when overall response rate is used to measure performance. Based on evidence that operant responding occurs in bouts, this paper proposes an analytic procedure that separates extinction performance into several behavioral components: (1-3) the baseline bout initiation rate, within-bout response rate, and bout length at the onset of extinction; (4-6) their rates of decay during extinction; (7) the time between extinction onset and the decline of responding; (8) the asymptotic response rate at the end of extinction; (9) the refractory period after each response. Data that illustrate the goodness of fit of this analytic model are presented. This paper also describes procedures to isolate behavioral components contributing to extinction performance and make inferences about experimental effects on these components. This microscopic behavioral analysis allows the mapping of different psychological processes to distinct behavioral components implicated in extinction performance, which may further our understanding of the psychological effects of neurobiological treatments.

Advantages of Joint Modeling of Component HIV Risk Behaviors and Non-Response: Application to Randomized Trials in Cocaine-Dependent and Methamphetamine-Dependent Populations

The HIV risk-taking behavior scale (HRBS) is an 11-item instrument designed to assess the risks of HIV infection due to self-reported injection-drug use and sexual behavior. A retrospective analysis was performed on HRBS data collected from approximately 1,000 participants pooled across seven clinical trials of pharmacotherapies for either the treatment of cocaine dependence or methamphetamine dependence. Analysis faced three important challenges. The sample contained a high proportion of missing assessments after randomization. Also, the HRBS scale consists of two distinct behavioral components which may or may not coincide in response patterns. In addition, distributions of responses on the subscales were highly concentrated at just a few values (e.g., 0, 6). To address these challenges, a single probit regression model was fit to three outcomes variables simultaneously – the two subscale totals plus an indicator variable for assessments not obtained (non-response). This joint-outcome regression model was able to identify that those who left assessment early had higher self-reported risk of injection-drug use and lower self-reported risky sexual behavior because the model was able to draw on information on associations among the three outcomes collectively. These findings were not identified in analyses performed on each outcome separately. No evidence for an effect of pharmacotherapies was observed, except to reduce missing assessments. Univariate-outcome modeling is not recommended for the HRBS.

Behavioral components of impulsivity predict alcohol consumption in adults with ADHD and healthy controls

Background The degree to which distinct behavioral components of impulsivity predict alcohol consumption is as yet not well-understood. Further, the possibility that this relation might be more pronounced in groups characterized by heightened impulsivity (i.e., individuals with ADHD) has not been tested. Methods The current study examined the degree to which three specific behavioral components of impulsivity (i.e., poor response inhibition, poor attentional inhibition, and increased risk-taking) were associated with quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption in a group of young adult social drinkers with ADHD ( n = 33) and in a comparison control group ( n = 21). Participants performed the delayed ocular return task (attentional inhibition), the cued go/no-go task (behavioral inhibition), and the balloon analogue risk task (risk-taking). Results Both poor behavioral inhibition and greater risk-taking were related to greater quantity of consumption in the entire sample, whereas poor attentional inhibition was related to greater quantity specifically among those with ADHD. By contrast, only risk-taking was associated with frequency of consumption, and this was found specifically in the control group. Conclusions These findings provide important information regarding the potential role of distinct behavioral components of impulsivity in drinking behavior, and highlight unique relevance of attentional impairments to drinking behavior in those with ADHD.

Evaluating the Psychometric Properties of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) within the United Kingdom

In the present study, we examined the psychometric properties of the Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure (MEIM) (Phinney, 1992; Phinney & Alipuria, 1990) among an ethnically diverse sample within the United Kingdom. In initial analyses, we evaluated the goodness-of-fit of a one-factor model (i.e., global ethnic identity) and the goodness-of-fit of a two-factor model (i.e., correlated but distinct Exploration and Commitment components). Results of initial confirmatory factor analyses led us to reject both the one-factor and two-factor models. Results of subsequent exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a three-factor structure (i.e., correlated but distinct Behavioral, Cognitive, and Affective components of ethnic identity) among the sample as a whole (n = 234) and among Asian Indian persons (n = 88) in particular, though results were mixed among White U.K./Irish persons (n = 54) in particular. Implications for the study of ethnicity-related concepts in the increasingly multi-cultural U.K. are discussed.

Acute administration of leptin produces anxiolytic-like effects: a comparison with fluoxetine

Our previous studies in rats have shown that the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin induces antidepressant-like effects with a behavioral profile similar to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants. Acute SSRI treatment causes paradoxical anxiogenic responses, although chronic treatment has therapeutic effects on anxiety. However, the role of leptin in anxiety remains to be established. The scope of this study was to investigate the acute effects of leptin on anxiety-related behaviors in comparison with the SSRI antidepressant fluoxetine. Adult male C57BL/6J mice received intraperitoneal injection of leptin or fluoxetine. Thirty minutes after injection, mice were subjected to the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST) for evaluating antidepressant activity. Anxiety-like behavior was assessed in the elevated plus maze (EPM), social interaction, and open field tests 30 min following drug treatment. While leptin and fluoxetine showed similar antidepressant-like behavioral effects in the TST and FST, they differed in the behavioral assays for anxiety. Open arm exploration in the EPM was increased by leptin but decreased by fluoxetine. Analysis of social interaction revealed that distinct social behavioral components were modulated by leptin and fluoxetine. The total time of active social behaviors was increased by leptin but reduced by fluoxetine. In addition, self-grooming, a non-social behavior, was suppressed by leptin treatment. Neither leptin nor fluoxetine produced significant effects in the open field test. In contrast to anxiogenic-like effects induced by acute fluoxetine, leptin elicits anxiolytic-like effects after acute administration. These results suggest that leptin has both antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like properties.

Postural Shifts During Egg‐Brooding and Their Impact on Egg Water Balance in Children’s Pythons (Antaresia childreni)

AbstractParental care typically consists of distinct behavioral components that are balanced to address the multiple needs of offspring. Female pythons exhibit post‐oviposition parental care in which they coil around their parchment‐shelled eggs throughout incubation (40–80 d). Subtle postural shifts during egg‐brooding facilitate embryonic gas exchange but may entail hydric costs to the clutch. This study used a simple behavioral model to (1) further quantify the costs and benefits of specific parental behaviors to developing offspring and (2) determine the influence that developmental stage and relative clutch mass have on parental behavior. Although previous research has demonstrated that egg‐brooding as a whole reduces clutch water loss, we hypothesized that egg‐brooding female pythons specifically adopt a tightly coiled posture to conserve embryonic water, but must make postural adjustments to enhance gas exchange between the clutch and nest environments at the cost of increased clutch water loss. We measured rates of water loss in brooding Children’s pythons (Antaresia childreni) and their respective clutches (i.e., brooding units) and monitored changes in brooding posture. We conducted serial trials to elucidate the effect of developmental stage on postural adjustments and water loss. Results demonstrated that the proportion of time females spent in a tightly coiled posture was inversely related to mean water loss from the brooding unit. Analyses indicated that slight adjustments in posture led to bursts in brooding unit water loss. Indeed, brooding unit water loss during postural adjustments was significantly higher than during tight coiling. These findings imply that python egg‐brooding provides an adjustable diffusive barrier that leads to discontinuous gas exchange, which minimizes clutch water loss. Because females with larger relative clutch masses spent more time tightly coiled, egg‐brooding female pythons may use a ‘water first’ strategy in which they intentionally conserve clutch water at the cost of reduced embryonic respiratory gas exchange.

Genome-wide scan for quantitative trait loci influencing spatial navigation and social recognition memory in Dahl rats

The genetic determinants of learning and memory have been difficult to unravel because of the complex inheritance of these forms of cognitive behavior encompassing multiple genetic and environmental factors. Indeed, genes that can account for strain and individual variations in learning and memory are largely unknown. Here we report a genome-wide scan for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting spatial learning and memory and social recognition memory in an F2 population derived from Dahl rats. We detected five QTLs on chromosomes 1, 8, 11, 17, and 20 affecting spatial acquisition performance and five QTLs on chromosomes 2, 3, 9, and 20 influencing spatial accuracy (once information about the target location had been acquired). None of these QTLs overlap, indicating the existence of independent genetic determinants for these two distinct behavioral components of spatial navigation. Moreover, five QTLs affecting social recognition memory were detected, two on chromosome 9 and three on chromosome X. The chromosomal regions linked to social recognition memory performance in the rat are syntenic to regions that have been linked to autism in humans. Thus our results could have paradigmatic value in guiding the experimental investigation of similar pathways in genetic susceptibility to this disorder, which results in profound impairments in social behavior.

EFFECTS OF d‐AMPHETAMINE, DIAZEPAM, AND PENTOBARBITAL ON THE SCHEDULE‐CONTROLLED PECKING AND LOCOMOTOR ACTIVITY OF PIGEONS

Pigeons were trained on a variant of the autoshaping procedure devised by Matthews and Lerer (1987) in which a keylight stimulus ramp of increasing brightness signaled the passing of a 30-s interfood interval. This procedure generates two distinct behavioral components: key pecking and locomotor activity. The effects of three psychoactive drugs on these behavior classes were measured. d-Amphetamine had negligible effects on both types of behavior, whereas diazepam and pentobartital increased key pecking and decreased activity in a dose-dependent fashion. In Experiment 2, the possibility that drug effects were suppressed by excessively strong stimulus control exerted in Experiment 1 was tested by decreasing the discriminability of the stimulus ramp. The direction of the effects of diazepam and pentobarbital was the same as in Experiment 1 but the magnitude of the effects tended to be larger. The effects of d-amphetamine, however, remained quite small, suggesting that, under these conditions, locomotor activity and key pecking are less sensitive to d-amphetamine. In Experiments 3 and 4, key pecking was eliminated by removing the keylight. Reinforcers were presented at fixed intervals in Experiment 3 and at variable intervals in Experiment 4. The drug effects on activity observed in Experiments 1 and 2 disappeared in both Experiments 3 and 4. The results suggest that diazepam and pentobarbital affect activity indirectly by increasing key-pecking behavior, which, in turn, competitively decreases activity.

Lack of behavioral effects in the rhesus monkey: high peak microwave pulses at 1.3 GHz.

The current safety standards for radiofrequency and microwave exposure do not limit the peak power of microwave pulses for general or occupational exposures. While some biological effects, primarily the auditory effect, depend on pulsed microwaves, hazards associated with very high peak-power microwave pulses in the absence of whole-body heating are unknown. Five rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulatta, were exposed to peak-power densities of 131.8 W/cm2 (RMS) while performing a time-related behavioral task. The task was composed of a multiple schedule of reinforcement consisting of three distinct behavioral components: inter-response time, time discrimination, and fixed interval. Trained monkeys performed the multiple schedule during exposure to 1.3-GHz pulses at low pulse-repetition rates (2-32 Hz). No significant change was observed in any behavior during irradiation as compared to sham-irradiation sessions. Generalization of these findings to experimental results with higher peak-power densities, other pulse rates, different carrier frequencies, or other behaviors is limited.