Indicators Of Positive Emotions Research Articles

LEXICAL AND STYLISTIC MEANS OF EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONS IN MODERN INTERNET COMMUNICATION

The objective of the article is to find out the specifics of using multilevel means of communication to indicate the emotional states of users in English-language social networks. Methods. The main scientific results were obtained using a set of general scientific and special research methods, namely: analysis, generalization and systematization of scientific and educational literature on literary studies, psychology, and linguistics; theoretical generalization, analysis and synthesis, as well as comparative, descriptive and analytical. Results. The authors note that the features of virtual communication are: dialogic, emotional, special authorial nature, the ratio of categories reader-author or speaker-listener, removal of restrictions in time and space, the status of participants is usually equal, the general picture of the world, unlimited choice of language. Emotionality is a linguistic characteristic of the text that can cause an emotional effect. It is the result of the transmission of human emotions through language. Accordingly, any verbal means of expression either convey neutral emotions, or positively or negatively colored. The study found that emotions could be expressed at any level of language. If the sentence has a neutral emotional tone, it can be enhanced by the use of lexical items with a positive meaning. The best indicator of positive emotions in statements is the words. Investigated that common language means of expressing positive emotions are tokens. Among the vocabulary that expresses positive emotions, a special place is occupied by exclamations. The study of utterances found that all exclamations were used in sentences with a positive emotional tone. Positive emotions are also reflected using vocabulary, the meaning of which has a pleasant effect on the audience. At the stylistic level, the authors of Internet texts used anaphora, epiphora, antithesis, gradation, alliteration, etc. Grammatical and syntactic means such as adverbs, exclamatory sentences are often used to express positive emotions in Internet discourse. Speaking of the negative tone of emotionality, it should be noted that the linguistic means of expression of negative emotions are often lexical items. The most common indicator is obscene language, which helps to express the feelings of the speaker. The syntactic level is important for expressing negative emotions. Authors often use the second or third type of conditional sentences to convey feelings of sadness, emphasizing the unreality of the situation and the inability to change circumstances.

Oxytocin in bovine saliva: validation of two assays and changes in parturition and at weaning

BackgroundThe possible use of oxytocin in saliva as an indicator of positive emotions in bovine species has been poorly investigated. In the present study, two new assays (one using a monoclonal antibody and the other using a polyclonal antibody) for the measurement of oxytocin in bovine saliva were developed and validated. Also, the changes in oxytocin in saliva were explored in two different situations. One was around parturition, and for this purpose, saliva samples from 13 cows were collected at three different times: 7 days before the parturition, the day of parturition and 7 days after the parturition. The second situation was weaning and grouping of calves, and for this purpose, saliva from 25 calves was collected at three different times: 1 day before weaning, 2 days after weaning or milk withdrawal and 4 days after grouping calves.ResultsIn cows, oxytocin concentrations showed an increase on the day of parturition with both assays, while in calves, oxytocin concentrations showed a decrease 4 days after the grouping.ConclusionsThe assays validated in this report could be used for the measurement of oxytocin in bovine saliva and detect changes in this analyte that can occur in different physiological or productive situations such as parturition and weaning.

Use of a Tri-Axial Accelerometer Can Reliably Detect Play Behaviour in Newborn Calves.

Simple SummaryTraditionally, health and production measures have been used to assess farm animal welfare, but these do not encompass all aspects of welfare. In recent years, the concept of “positive animal welfare” has been gaining momentum, in line with the notion that a good animal life prevents negative experiences and also promotes positive experiences. Play behaviour is considered to be a good indicator of positive animal welfare. Accelerometers (movement sensors) worn by animals can be used to monitor activity as a proxy for different behaviours in a much less time-consuming manner than traditional behavioural observations. In this study, we assessed whether a commercially available leg-mounted accelerometer could reliably identify play behaviour in newborn dairy calves. Our results showed that accelerometer technology can be used to identify the amount of play behaviour exhibited by newborn calves in the first 48 h of life, and we discuss its potential for use in the assessment of the welfare of newborn calves in the future.Traditionally, the welfare assessment of farm animals has focused on health and production outcomes. Positive welfare is, however, not merely the absence of negative welfare and is an important part of a life worth living. Play behaviour is widely considered to be an indicator of positive emotions because it is a “luxury” behaviour. Direct visual observation is considered the most accurate method of behavioural analysis, but it is time consuming and laborious. There is increasing interest in the use of remote monitoring technology to quantify behaviour. We compared the data output (“motion index” (MI)) from a commercially available tri-axial accelerometer fitted to newborn dairy calves to video footage of the same calves, with a focus on play behaviour. The motion index values over 48 h were positively correlated with both the duration of play behaviour and the number of play bouts. The motion index threshold in each sample interval with the optimal sensitivity and specificity for the identification of play behaviour was MI ≥ 2.5 at a 1 min resolution (sensitivity (Se) = 98.0%; specificity (Sp) = 92.9%) and MI ≥ 24.5 at a 15 min resolution (Se = 98.0%; Sp = 89.9%), but these values consistently overestimated the overall proportion of sample intervals in which play was observed. The MI that best reflected the results obtained from visual one-zero sampling was MI ≥ 23 for 1 min intervals and MI ≥ 62 for 15 min intervals—this may therefore be the basis of a more conservative approach to the identification of play behaviour from accelerometer-generated data. Our results indicate that accelerometer-generated data can usefully indicate the amount of play behaviour shown by newborn calves for up to 48 h, providing an efficient method for identifying this important parameter in future work.

Could snorts inform us on how horses perceive riding?

Several previous studies have shown that working conditions (including riding) can induce stress in horses. Riders’ actions and postures, when inappropriate, induce stress and conflict behaviours during riding and welfare impairment and negative emotional states outside work. Optimistic biases have been found in leisure horses, which, amongst positive management factors, were ridden with loose reins and low hands. Thus, one can wonder whether horses may positively perceive work or parts of it. Indicators of positive emotions are poorly known yet but we recently found that, out of the working context, a non-vocal acoustic signal, snorts, could reflect mild positive emotions in horses. We hypothesized that snorts could help identifying the working phases and actions appreciated by horses. An overview of snort production in 127 horses spread over 16 riding schools was first conducted to highlight a potential site effect. Results show a great difference in snorts frequency between facilities which may be due to different riding techniques. In order to test this hypothesis, we then focused on 37 horse-rider dyads by scoring horses’ postures (neck) and riders’ positions (hand, reins) during, but also out of the context of snort production. Results show that snorts were particularly associated with phases when the rider technique, i.e. long and loose reins, allowed more comfort for the horse, especially while walking. Results were more mitigated for higher paces since the association of snorts with signs of comfort was less clear-cut. Snorts could therefore be useful tools for identifying better practices, especially at slower gaits. However, care has to be taken at higher paces.

Are Tail and Ear Movements Indicators of Emotions in Tail-Docked Pigs in Response to Environmental Enrichment?

Simple SummaryThe assessment of animal welfare should involve physical and mental welfare. Physical welfare is relatively easy to measure. Nevertheless, there is a lack of feasible indicators of positive emotions in farm animals, which causes difficulties in obtaining a complete analysis of welfare. To improve the quality of life of farm animals, it is necessary to be able to assess their welfare in a valid and feasible way. This study aimed to determine whether environmental enrichment, understood to be positive for animal welfare, could influence tail movement and ear movement in fattening pigs. These indicators could be used to assess emotions, with positive or negative valences, as suggested in previous studies on mini-pigs and pigs. The results showed that tail movement was a valid and feasible indicator of positive emotions; pigs moved their tails a greater number of times when they interacted more with enrichment than when they interacted less with it. Regarding ear movements, this study revealed a need for further investigation. This research could play an important role in improving the analysis of different emotions in pigs, thereby improving the assessment of animal welfare in pig breeding systems using valid, feasible, and noninvasive indicators of emotions. The inclusion of emotional indicators in farm monitoring methods can improve welfare assessments. Studies in controlled conditions have suggested that increased tail movement is an indicator of positive emotions in pigs, while others have proposed that increased ear movements are linked to negative emotions. This study aimed to investigate these indicators in pig farm conditions to analyze their validity and the effect of enrichment on welfare. Thirty-six pigs received one of the following enrichment materials: straw in a rack, wooden logs, or chains. Behavioral observations were performed by focal sampling. The results showed that tail movement duration was significantly higher when pigs exhibited “high use” (three or more pigs in a pen interacting with the enrichment) than when they exhibited “low use” (fewer than three) of enrichment (p = 0.04). A positive correlation was found between tail movement frequency and duration (r = 0.88; p = 0.02). The increase in tail movement could be considered an indicator of positive emotions in pigs when measured with other categories of indicators. Regarding ear movements, no significant difference was found. Future studies should further investigate these indicators thoroughly, as the results could be useful for improving the assessment of emotions in pigs.

Quality of life and indicators of social adaptation in patients with congenital hydronephrosis

Purpose of the study : to study the quality of life, motivational orientation and frustration reactions in patients with congenital hydronephrosis. Quality of life is understood as an integral indicator of living space, personal, subject, professional potential, human health. Materials and methods . The study involved 30 patients aged 13–24 years old who underwent plastic repair of the Priyolan’s segment according to the Heines – Anderson – Kuchera. To study the quality of life, two types of criteria were used: psychodiagnostic (SF-36 questionnaire, assessment of the severity of success motivation S. Shapkin, Rosenzweig test of frustration) and medical (intravenous infusion urography, ultrasound of the urinary system (MFR), computed tomography, radioisotope methods). Results . The data obtained suggests that pronounced pain syndrome significantly reduces the quality of life of patients with congenital hydronephrosis, also reduces the overall indicator of positive emotions, the mood is characterized as anxious and depressive. Conclusion . Anomalies of the urinary system lead to a pronounced violation of the patient's quality of life and his social adaptation. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the pronounced pain syndrome reduces the quality of life of patients, and health limits the exercise of physical activity, daily and professional activities. Also reduced overall positive emotions. In 50% of patients, the motivational orientation is not balanced in terms of avoiding failures and achieving success. A high frequency of extrapunitive frustration reactions was found. All these factors greatly impede the social adaptation of the patient.

Context-dependent individual differences in playfulness in male rats.

Play has been proposed as an indicator of positive emotions and welfare in higher vertebrates. This study investigated playfulness in male rats by exploring its consistency across motivational states (with/without prior short social isolation) and two age points at early and late adolescence. Twenty-four male Lister Hooded rats housed in cages of four underwent two play tests: conspecific Play-in-Pairs and Tickling by the experimenter, which were compared with play in the home cage and basal anxiety levels. Play-in-Pairs measures were consistent across age and motivational states, and were independent from anxiety. Positively valenced vocalizations in the Tickling test were also consistent across age, yet were negatively related to anxiety. Play-in-Pairs and Tickling play contexts, as well as social and solitary play types, were unrelated. Therefore, this study supports the existence of consistent individual differences in playfulness in rats, and suggests that different play contexts and types represent motivationally distinct systems.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Older Adults: Effects on Executive Function, Frontal Alpha Asymmetry and Immune Function

Background/Aims: Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) has enhanced cognition, positive emotion, and immunity in younger and middle-aged samples; its benefits are less well known for older persons. Here we report on a randomized controlled trial of MBSR for older adults and its effects on executive function, left frontal asymmetry of the EEG alpha band, and antibody response. Methods: Older adults (n = 201) were randomized to MBSR or waiting list control. The outcome measures were: the Trail Making Test part B/A (Trails B/A) ratio, a measure of executive function; changes in left frontal alpha asymmetry, an indicator of positive emotions or approach motivation; depression, mindfulness, and perceived stress scores, and the immunoglobulin G response to a protein antigen, a measure of adaptive immunity. Results: MBSR participants had a lower Trails B/A ratio immediately after intervention (p < 0.05); reduced shift to rightward frontal alpha activation after intervention (p = 0.03); higher baseline antibody levels after intervention (p < 0.01), but lower antibody responses 24 weeks after antigen challenge (p < 0.04), and improved mindfulness after intervention (p = 0.023) and at 21 weeks of follow-up (p = 0.006). Conclusions: MBSR produced small but significant changes in executive function, mindfulness, and sustained left frontal alpha asymmetry. The antibody findings at follow-up were unexpected. Further study of the effects of MBSR on immune function should assess changes in antibody responses in comparison to T-cell-mediated effector functions, which decline as a function of age.

Behavioural indicators of welfare in farmed fish

Behaviour represents a reaction to the environment as fish perceive it and is therefore a key element of fish welfare. This review summarises the main findings on how behavioural changes have been used to assess welfare in farmed fish, using both functional and feeling-based approaches. Changes in foraging behaviour, ventilatory activity, aggression, individual and group swimming behaviour, stereotypic and abnormal behaviour have been linked with acute and chronic stressors in aquaculture and can therefore be regarded as likely indicators of poor welfare. On the contrary, measurements of exploratory behaviour, feed anticipatory activity and reward-related operant behaviour are beginning to be considered as indicators of positive emotions and welfare in fish. Despite the lack of scientific agreement about the existence of sentience in fish, the possibility that they are capable of both positive and negative emotions may contribute to the development of new strategies (e.g. environmental enrichment) to promote good welfare. Numerous studies that use behavioural indicators of welfare show that behavioural changes can be interpreted as either good or poor welfare depending on the fish species. It is therefore essential to understand the species-specific biology before drawing any conclusions in relation to welfare. In addition, different individuals within the same species may exhibit divergent coping strategies towards stressors, and what is tolerated by some individuals may be detrimental to others. Therefore, the assessment of welfare in a few individuals may not represent the average welfare of a group and vice versa. This underlines the need to develop on-farm, operational behavioural welfare indicators that can be easily used to assess not only the individual welfare but also the welfare of the whole group (e.g. spatial distribution). With the ongoing development of video technology and image processing, the on-farm surveillance of behaviour may in the near future represent a low-cost, noninvasive tool to assess the welfare of farmed fish.