Emotional Behavioral Responses Research Articles

GABA neurons of the ventral periaqueductal gray area modulate behaviors associated with anxiety and conditioned fear.

Emotional behavioral responses related to anxiety and fear comprise the negative valence systems domainas defined by the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach to categorizing related emotional behavioral constructs that are compromised in mental health disorders. Here, we evaluate the role of GABA neurons of the ventral periaqueductal gray (vPAG) in emotional behavioral responses related to anxiety and fear using a chemogenetic approach in Vgat-ires-Cre mice. Functional inhibition of vPAG GABA neurons using selective expression of inhibitory Gi-coupled Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (Gi-DREADDs) enhanced anxiety-like behavior in the light-dark exploration and open-field tests. Functional inhibition of vPAG GABA neurons during the acquisition of conditioned fear impaired later performance of conditioned fear responses to the fear-associated context. No effects on spontaneous freezing behavior, fear generalization, or conditioned fear responses to the fear-associated cue were observed. Together, these data suggest that activity of vPAG GABA neurons underlies emotional behavioral responses related to anxiety and conditioned fear. As such, vPAG GABA neurons are a common neurophysiological correlate of the negative valence system and dysregulation of this population may contribute to the etiology of mental health disorders in which the negative valence systems domain is compromised.

The relationship between self-rated naturalness of university green space and students’ restoration and health

A growing body of evidence indicates that university green space can promote students’ restoration and health. Nonetheless, only a few studies have focused on the relationship that exists among perceived naturalness, restoration and health. This study developed a self-rated naturalness scale (SRNS) to measure perceived naturalness, and examined the association between self-rated naturalness and students’ restoration and health in several university campus settings. Explanatory and confirmatory factors analysis were used for the development of the SRNS. The participants in the initial part aimed at SRNS development were 422 university students from Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University in Fuzhou, China. Finally, the SRNS included three dimensions (perception of natural attributes, perception of natural feeling and perception of natural form) and eleven related indicators. Next, the SRNS was used in a second part designed to examine the relationship between self-rated naturalness and restoration and health. Eight universities in Fuzhou, China were selected as study area, and a total of 2550 students participated in the survey. Analysis of variance showed a positive correlation between self-rated naturalness and restoration. Furthermore, a significant correlation between perceived naturalness and self-rated restoration (emotional response, physiological response, cognitive response and behavioral response) was found. The strategic relapse of health uncovered a positive relationship between self-reported health, and perception of natural attributes and perception of natural form, for both males and females. Nonetheless, only among males a cognitive response was found for perceived restoration and health. The results suggest that universities’ perceived naturalness contributed positively to students’ self-rated restoration and health. As a result, university managers and those involved in the design of campus landscapes ought to give careful consideration to the role of campus green spaces in meeting students' restoration and health needs.

Chronic stress dysregulates amygdalar output to the prefrontal cortex

Chronic stress contributes to the neuropathology of mental health disorders, including those associated with anxiety. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) coordinates emotional behavioral responses through glutamatergic outputs to downstream regions such as the prefrontal cortex (PFC), nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). We explored the effects of chronic stress on BLA outputs to the PFC, NAcc and BNST using slice electrophysiology combined with optogenetics in two inbred mouse strains with distinct stress-induced anxiety responses. We found that ten consecutive days of chronic restraint stress enhanced pre-synaptic glutamate release at BLA-to-PFC synapses in C57BL/6J mice, but reduced pre-synaptic glutamate release at these synapses in DBA/2J mice. To assess the behavioral relevance of enhanced glutamate output at BLA-to-PFC synapses, we approximated the effects of chronic stress on the BLA-PFC circuit using optogenetics. We found that photostimulation of the BLA-PFC circuit in unstressed C57BL/6J mice produced persistent (i.e., post-stimulation) increased anxiety-like behavior and hyperactivity in the elevated plus-maze - a profile consistent with prototypical behavioral responses of stressed C57BL/6J mice. These data demonstrate that chronic stress dysregulates the BLA-PFC circuit by altering pre-synaptic glutamate release from BLA outputs, and provide a mechanism by which chronic stress can lead to increased anxiety.

A Phenomenological Study: Experiencing the Unexpected Death of a Teammate

Phenomenological interviews were conducted with nine collegiate student-athletes (M = 24.11 years; SD = 3.76), from a range of sports, to explore how they experienced the unexpected death of a teammate. Qualitative analysis of interview data revealed a total of 626 meaning units which were used to produce a final thematic structure consisting of six higher order themes: Emotional Response, Behavioral Response, Faith, Social Support, Team Cohesion, and Change of Life Perspective. The results suggest that student-athletes who experience the unexpected death of a teammate go through a wide range of emotional (e.g., shock, denial) and behavioral responses (e.g., deliberate isolation from others, tributes), which ultimately changed their perspective on life. The specific nuances of these experiences offer several practical applications for sport psychology consultants, coaches, and administrators wishing to provide support to this population during such a difficult time.

The Emotional, Behavioral, and Cognitive Experience of Boundary Turbulence

Key to understanding the process of privacy management is examining how boundary turbulence is individually experienced. Building on the principles of communication privacy management, I considered how the amount of dissemination beyond the dyadic boundary corresponds to the automatic emotional reactions, behavioral responses, and higher-order cognitions reported in response to boundary turbulence. Two hundred sixteen college-aged students described recent privacy breaches and reported their individual emotional, behavioral, and cognitive responses to the betrayal of confidence. Results revealed that the amount of dissemination of private information was positively associated with anger, fear, and sadness. Furthermore, anger incited the use of distributive tactics, and this association was stronger for individuals who ruminated. Congruently, sadness prompted withdrawal behaviors, and this relationship increased as cognitive avoidance increased.

Trait anger, neuroticism, and the hostile reaction to provocation: examining the hierarchical organization of affective traits in context

It has been suggested that the broad trait of neuroticism may predict the tendency to become aggressive when provoked. Based on functionalist theories of emotion, however, we suspected that only the more specific trait of anger would predict such tendencies. To test these competing predictions, two laboratory studies and one daily diary study were conducted. Consistent with functionalist accounts, trait anger consistently predicted the angry emotional and aggressive behavioral response to provocation, even after controlling for neuroticism. This was true in relation to laboratory-based provocations and in provocations experienced in daily life. Neuroticism only predicted a more diverse negative emotional reaction. It is therefore proposed that trait anger clearly elicits an angry emotional response, which directly motivates aggressive behavior. By contrast, neuroticism may lead to a very diverse reaction which elicits different and even contradictory behavioral tendencies.

The Effect on the Emotional Responses and Behavioral Responses to Store Attributes of Lifestyle Shops

본 연구는 라이프스타일숍의 점포속성이 감정적, 행동적 반응에 미치는 영향을 알아보고, 라이프스타일숍 유형에 따 라 점포속성이 감정적 반응에 미치는 영향과 감정적 반응이 행동적 반응에 미치는 영향의 차이를 알아보고자 한다. 라이프스타일숍을 이용한 소비자의 쇼핑 경험을 중심으로 소비자 행동을 분석하기 위하여, 최근 6개월 이내에 라이프스 타일숍을 직접 방문하고 구매한 경험이 있는 소비자를 대상 으로 온라인 서베이 업체를 통해 설문조사를 실시하여 연구를 진행하였다. 라이프스타일숍의 점포속성 중 상품의 다양성, 입지, 상품 특성의 요인은 소비자의 감정적 반응에 긍정적인 영향을 미 치는 것으로 나타났으며, 매장 분위기와 입지의 요인은 소비 자의 부정적 감정 반응에 부정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나 타났다. 또한 긍정적 감정 요인은 행동적 반응의 체류시간, 점포만족도, 재방문의도에 긍정적인 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났으나, 부정적 감정 요인은 행동적 반응 중 재방문의도 에만 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 라이프스타일숍을 인 테리어, 생활용품, 패션 유형으로 나누어 살펴보았으며, 각 유 형별로 긍정적 감정에 미치는 점포속성 요인이 상이한 것으 로 나타났다. 본 연구는 라이프스타일숍의 점포속성에 대해 구체적으로 알아봄으로써 리테일링 관련 연구의 기반을 마련하였으며, 라이프스타일숍의 경쟁력과 뚜렷한 개성을 설립하기 위한 마케팅 전략을 세우는데 유용한 정보를 제공하였다.

Comparing electronic and traditional bullying in embarrassment and exclusion scenarios

Electronic bullying continues to increase yet remains under-researched (e.g., Waasdorp & Bradshaw, 2015). This is especially true for college populations, a group that often uses online technology (Duggan & Brenner, 2014). A paucity of experimentally designed studies have examined and compared behavioral and emotional responses to bullying situations in both electronic and traditional formats. This study seeks to elucidate differences and similarities between the two bullying formats specifically examining cognitive, strategic, and emotional responses. We utilized an experimental design with hypothetical scenarios to investigate college students' social-cognitive responses to two forms of relational bullying: embarrassment and exclusion, presented in traditional and electronic formats. Participants were 124 college-age students at a mid-size Northeastern university. Results demonstrated different emotional responses and behavioral responses depending on the medium (electronic versus traditional). Specifically, in terms of emotions, participants felt higher embarrassment in traditional bullying scenarios and higher anger in electronic bullying scenarios. In terms of behavioral responses participants were more likely to seek help in traditional bullying scenarios compared to using the avoidance strategies of joking when bullying occurred online. Additionally, qualitative responses regarding the impact of bullying medium were analyzed and significant differences were found regarding reasons for the bullying severity and impact depending on medium. This study demonstrates several important differences between electronic and traditional bullying in terms of emotional and behavioral responses as well as qualitative reports of severity.

MDia and ROCK Mediate Actin-Dependent Presynaptic Remodeling Regulating Synaptic Efficacy and Anxiety

Here, we show neuronal inactivation-induced presynaptic remodeling and involvement of the mammalian homolog of Diaphanous (mDia) and Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing kinase (ROCK), Rho-regulated modulators of actin and myosin, in this process. Wefind that social isolation induces inactivation ofnucleus accumbens (NAc) neurons associated with elevated anxiety-like behavior, and that mDia in NAc neurons is essential in this process. Upon inactivation of cultured neurons, mDia induces circumferential actin filaments around the edge of the synaptic cleft, which contract the presynaptic terminals in a ROCK-dependent manner. Social isolation induces similar mDia-dependent presynaptic contraction at GABAergic synapses from NAc neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) associated with reduced synaptic efficacy. Optogenetic stimulation of NAc neurons rescues the anxiety phenotype, and injection of a specific ROCK inhibitor, Y-27632, into the VTA reverses both presynaptic contraction and the behavioral phenotype. mDia-ROCK signaling thus mediates actin-dependent presynaptic remodeling in inactivated NAc neurons, which underlies synaptic plasticity in emotional behavioral responses.

Interparental conflict and adolescents' self-representations: The role of emotional insecurity

Adolescents' signs of emotional insecurity in the context of interparental conflict (IC) – emotional reactivity, internal representations (i.e., constructive/destructive; spillover) and behavioral responses (i.e., withdrawal; inhibition; involvement) – were examined as mediators in the relation between IC and adolescents' self-representations. Self-reported measures were filled out by 221 Portuguese adolescents (59.3% girls; Mage = 12.91), attending public elementary and secondary schools. IC predicted less favorable self-representations. Adolescents' emotional reactivity and withdrawal mediated the relation between IC and emotional and physical appearance self-representations, while conflict spillover representations and constructive family representations mediated associations between IC and instrumental self-representations. This study emphasizes the importance of interparental conflict and adolescent emotional insecurity in the construction of their self-representations, having important theoretical and practical implications. It highlights the value of analyzing the specific role of several emotional insecurity dimensions, and informs practitioners' work aimed at promoting constructive conflict and adaptive emotional regulation skills.

스킨스쿠버 다이빙 참여자의 경험적 가치가 감정반응 및 행동반응에 미치는 영향

스킨스쿠버 다이빙 참여자의 경험적 가치가 감정반응 및 행동반응에 미치는 영향

Severity and timing: How prenatal stress exposure affects glial developmental, emotional behavioural and plasma neurosteroid responses in guinea pig offspring

Prenatal stress has been associated with a variety of developmental changes in offspring, notably those associated with brain development and subsequent risk for neuropathologies later in life. Recently, the importance of the timing and the severity of the stressor during pregnancy has been emphasized with neurosteroids including allopregnanolone implicated in the regulation of stress and also for endogenous neuroprotection in offspring.Prenatal stress was induced using strobe light exposure in pregnant guinea pigs (term 71days) in three defined stress exposure groups (Gestational Age (GA)35-65, GA50-65 and GA60-65). Stress was induced for 2h (9–11am) every 5days via strobe light exposure. A fetal cohort were euthanased at term with fetal brains and plasma collected. Anxiety-like behaviour was evaluated at 18 days of age in a separate cohort of offspring with brains and plasma collected at 21days of age. Markers for mature oligodendrocytes and reactive astrocytes were measured in the CA1 region of the hippocampus and the subcortical white matter. The neurosteroid allopregnanolone was measured by radioimmunoassay in offspring plasma.In the CA1 region of the hippocampus, fetuses from all stress groups showed reduced expression of mature oligodendrocytes and reactive astrocytes. By juvenility, all male stress exposure groups had recovered to levels of unaffected controls with the exception of the GA35-65 stress group. In juvenile females, mature oligodendrocyte marker expression was reduced in all stress groups and reactive astrocyte expression was reduced in the GA35-65 and GA60-65 stress groups by juvenility. Increased reactive astrocyte expression was also apparent in the subcortical white matter in both sexes both at term and at juvenility. Prenatally stressed offspring spent less time exploring in the object exploration test and also entered the inner zone of the open field less than controls at 18days of age. Circulating allopregnanolone concentrations were significantly reduced in GA35-65 and GA 60–65 stress exposed fetuses with those in the GA35-65 stress group remaining reduced by juvenility.This study has shown the effects of differing levels of prenatal stress severity and timing on glial development, emotional behaviour and plasma allopregnanolone concentrations in offspring.

Enhanced c-Fos expression in the central amygdala correlates with increased thigmotaxis in rats with peripheral nerve injury.

BackgroundPain is associated with affective, cognitive and sensory dysfunction. Animal models can be used to observe ethologically relevant behaviours such as thigmotaxis, giving insight into how ongoing sensory abnormalities influence natural rodent behaviours. The amygdala is a complex group of nuclei implicated in the integration and generation of emotional behavioural responses, including those associated with pain, and a region known as the central amygdala is particularly associated with generation of behavioural responses, due to its links to the descending pain modulation pathways; as such, study of amygdalar c‐Fos immunoreactivity can help identify the neuronal circuits involved.MethodThis study investigated changes in both nociceptive evoked responses and open field behaviour following spinal nerve transection (SNT) in male Wistar rats, and attempted to correlate these with changes in central amygdala c‐Fos immunoreactivity.ResultsFourteen days after SNT, mechanical hypersensitivity was present in the hind paw ipsilateral to site of injury. Thigmotactic behaviour was significantly increased in both SNT and sham surgery animals, with c‐Fos immunoreactivity in the central amygdala significantly greater in SNT animals compared to both sham and naive groups. Activation was greatest in the capsular and lateral subnuclei of the central amygdala, and in the caudal‐most regions. There was a strong correlation between thigmotactic behaviour and central amygdala activation following SNT surgery not seen in sham animals suggesting a role for the amygdala in behavioural responses to peripheral nerve injury.ConclusionsThis study provides evidence to support the role of the amygdala in thigmotactic open field behaviour following SNT.What does this study add?Thigmotaxis and amygdala activation are positively correlated in rats following spinal nerve transection.Behavioural changes seen in sham animals did not correlate with amygdala activation, suggesting amygdala activation is related to nociceptive input.Evoked measures, such as hindpaw withdrawal, are not correlated with either thigmotaxis or amygdala activation, emphasizing the importance of complex behaviours when studying pain.

Emotional facial expressions evoke faster orienting responses, but weaker emotional responses at neural and behavioural levels compared to scenes: A simultaneous EEG and facial EMG study

In the current study, electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded simultaneously with facial electromyography (fEMG) to determine whether emotional faces and emotional scenes are processed differently at the neural level. In addition, it was investigated whether these differences can be observed at the behavioural level via spontaneous facial muscle activity. Emotional content of the stimuli did not affect early P1 activity. Emotional faces elicited enhanced amplitudes of the face-sensitive N170 component, while its counterpart, the scene-related N100, was not sensitive to emotional content of scenes. At 220–280ms, the early posterior negativity (EPN) was enhanced only slightly for fearful as compared to neutral or happy faces. However, its amplitudes were significantly enhanced during processing of scenes with positive content, particularly over the right hemisphere. Scenes of positive content also elicited enhanced spontaneous zygomatic activity from 500–750ms onwards, while happy faces elicited no such changes. Contrastingly, both fearful faces and negative scenes elicited enhanced spontaneous corrugator activity at 500–750ms after stimulus onset. However, relative to baseline EMG changes occurred earlier for faces (250ms) than for scenes (500ms) whereas for scenes activity changes were more pronounced over the whole viewing period. Taking into account all effects, the data suggests that emotional facial expressions evoke faster attentional orienting, but weaker affective neural activity and emotional behavioural responses compared to emotional scenes.

What’s a Parent to Do? How Parents Respond to Notification of a Child’s Police Detention

The current qualitative study involved in-depth semistructured interviews with parents whose children had been taken into custody. Their initial emotional reactions, cognitive processing, and behavioral responses to their child’s detention were examined. Five themes emerged from the data: (1) Parents try to defer immediate interactions with the child rather than react out of emotion; (2) Parents feel anger toward their child, but disappointment and shock are more strongly expressed emotional responses; (3) Parents do not accept the behavior but do not reject their child; (4) Police behaviors communicate the seriousness of the act; and (5) The entire family suffers consequences from the child’s act. Findings highlight the experiences of the parents as they interacted with the juvenile justice system.

Differential effects of cocaine on extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation in nuclei of the extended amygdala and prefrontal cortex of psychogenetically selected Roman high- and low-avoidance rats.

Roman high (RHA)- and low (RLA)-avoidance rats are selectively bred for rapid vs. poor acquisition of active avoidance, respectively, and differ markedly in emotional reactivity, coping style, and behavioral and neurochemical responses to morphine and psychostimulants. Accordingly, acute cocaine induces more robust increments in locomotion and dopamine output in the nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) of RHA than of RLA rats. Cocaine induces short- and long-term neuronal plasticity via activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. This study compares the effects of acute cocaine on ERK phosphorylation (pERK) in limbic brain areas of Roman rats. In RHA but not RLA rats, cocaine (5 mg/kg) increased pERK in the infralimbic prefrontal cortex and AcbSh, two areas involved in its acute effects, but did not modify pERK in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex and Acb core, which mediate the chronic effects of cocaine. Moreover, cocaine failed to affect pERK immunolabeling in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis pars lateralis and central amygdala of either line but increased it in the basolateral amygdala of RLA rats. These results extend to pERK expression previous findings on the greater sensitivity to acute cocaine of RHA vs. RLA rats and confirm the notion that genetic factors influence the differential responses of the Roman lines to addictive drugs. Moreover, they support the view that the Roman lines are a useful tool to investigate the molecular underpinnings of individual vulnerability to drug addiction.

Hotel discount strategies on consumer responses: the role of involvement

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the impact of hotel discount strategies on consumers’ emotional and behavioral responses in the presence of differential levels of involvement in discount acquisition. Design/methodology/approach – Discount strategies and the high- and low-involvement variables were fully cross-examined, yielding a 2 × 2 factorial quasi experimental design. In all, 120 surveys were collected, and multivariate analysis of variance was used for data analysis. Findings – The results suggest that fenced discounts that require consumers to accept restrictions to receive a discount generated more positive emotion and stronger behavioral intention. Moreover, an interaction effect was found between consumer’s involvement and discounts on emotional and behavioral responses toward discount-acquiring experience. Highly involved consumers resulted in more positive emotional and stronger behavioral responses (e.g. pride, gratitude, word-of-mouth and retention) from obtaining a fenced discount that requires consumers’ efforts or sacrifices. On contrary, consumers with low involvement tend to appreciate more of a fixed discount given to anyone without restrictions. Practical implications – Hotels should implement a fenced discount when they design discounts targeting at high-involvement consumers. For low-involvement consumers, a fixed discount appears to generate more positive emotion and stronger behavioral intention. Originality/value – The study enhances the theoretical understanding of consumers’ emotional and behavioral responses toward discount-acquiring experience with different levels of involvement.

Unique genetic loci identified for emotional behavior in control and chronic stress conditions.

An individual's genetic background affects their emotional behavior and response to stress. Although studies have been conducted to identify genetic predictors for emotional behavior or stress response, it remains unknown how prior stress history alters the interaction between an individual's genome and their emotional behavior. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify chromosomal regions that affect emotional behavior and are sensitive to stress exposure. We utilized the BXD behavioral genetics mouse model to identify chromosomal regions that predict fear learning and emotional behavior following exposure to a control or chronic stress environment. 62 BXD recombinant inbred strains and C57BL/6 and DBA/2 parental strains underwent behavioral testing including a classical fear conditioning paradigm and the elevated plus maze. Distinct quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were identified for emotional learning, anxiety and locomotion in control and chronic stress populations. Candidate genes, including those with already known functions in learning and stress were found to reside within the identified QTLs. Our data suggest that chronic stress history reveals novel genetic predictors of emotional behavior.

Conditional Inactivation of Neuropeptide Y Y1 Receptors Unravels the Role of Y1 and Y5 Receptors Coexpressing Neurons in Anxiety

The Y1 receptor (Y1R) and Y5 receptor (Y5R) for neuropeptide Y share similar actions in the regulation of anxiety. Previously demonstrated that conditional removal of the Y1R during postnatal development in the forebrain excitatory neurons leads to higher anxiety, increased hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis activity, and decreased body growth rate in male mice raised by foster mothers that exhibit high levels of maternal care. In the present study, we used the same conditional system to analyze the specific contribution to emotional behavior and stress response of the Y1R coexpressed with the Y5R. Using the Cre-loxP recombination system, we investigated anxious behavior, spatial memory, and metabolic functions of conditional knockout mice in which the inactivation of the Npy1r gene was induced in the Y5Rs expressing neurons of juvenile mice (Npy1r(Y5R-/-) ). Npy1r(Y5R-/-) mice show increased anxiety-related behavior but no changes in hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis activity or in body weight growth, independently of gender and mouse strain used as foster mothers. Also, Npy1r(Y5R-/-) mice of both genders display increased spatial reference memory in the Morris water maze test. The results suggest that neuropeptide Y Y1R differentially expressed in the limbic system regulates anxiety and stress responses via distinct neurochemical circuits. In addition, we provide the first experimental genetic evidence that the Y1Rs coexpressed with the Y5R are involved in retention of spatial memory in male and female mice.

The motivation and pleasure dimension of negative symptoms: Neural substrates and behavioral outputs

A range of emotional and motivation impairments have long been clinically documented in people with schizophrenia, and there has been a resurgence of interest in understanding the psychological and neural mechanisms of the so-called “negative symptoms” in schizophrenia, given their lack of treatment responsiveness and their role in constraining function and life satisfaction in this illness. Negative symptoms comprise two domains, with the first covering diminished motivation and pleasure across a range of life domains and the second covering diminished verbal and non-verbal expression and communicative output. In this review, we focus on four aspects of the motivation/pleasure domain, providing a brief review of the behavioral and neural underpinnings of this domain. First, we cover liking or in-the-moment pleasure: immediate responses to pleasurable stimuli. Second, we cover anticipatory pleasure or wanting, which involves prediction of a forthcoming enjoyable outcome (reward) and feeling pleasure in anticipation of that outcome. Third, we address motivation, which comprises effort computation, which involves figuring out how much effort is needed to achieve a desired outcome, planning, and behavioral response. Finally, we cover the maintenance emotional states and behavioral responses. Throughout, we consider the behavioral manifestations and brain representations of these four aspects of motivation/pleasure deficits in schizophrenia. We conclude with directions for future research as well as implications for treatment.