Individual Behavior Research Articles

Drivers of Intrapreneurial Innovation: A Study of Individual Innovative Behaviour in Organisations

Organisations can gain a competitive edge through Intrapreneurial Behaviour (IB) by swiftly innovating and adapting to market changes. Research indicates that intrapreneurship plays a crucial role in the banking sector in achieving a competitive advantage. Organisations can enhance their intrapreneurial capability by leveraging Individual Innovative Behaviour (IIB). However, innovation in the banking sector is often constrained by strict regulations, high safety requirements, and a fundamental need for trust and stability. Therefore, it is important to embrace and stimulate factors that encourage and enable innovation. To our knowledge, research on how intrapreneurship can be stimulated and measured in the Dutch banking sector is currently lacking. Thus, developing indicators and metrics for measuring intrapreneurship in Dutch banks is essential. This study investigates the factors affecting IIB using a quantitative survey. Building on the connection between IB and IIB, IIB is treated as a dimension of IB. The perceived work context, comprising an organisation's entrepreneurial orientation and innovative climate, can empower employees' IIB in the digital era. This context encourages them to generate new ideas and engage in collaborative innovation without fear of failure, thus fostering IIB. Our study explores factors driving IIB, empowering employees to act as intrapreneurs through organisations perceived Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) and Innovative Climate (IC), with Digital Maturity (DM) as a moderating variable. Data were collected in 2021 from the three largest Dutch banks, which hold over 43% of the market share. A snowball sampling method was used to reach Dutch bank managers knowledgeable about the study's key constructs. This method involved initial contact with human resources departments and managers within these banks. The survey was administered to 167 managers, yielding 125 usable responses (75% response rate). Results indicate that employees in the banking industry with high DM are more likely to engage in IIB when firms support EO strategies and IC, and when employees adopt self-leadership skills.

Exploring the role of orexins in the modulation of social reward

Abstract Rationale positive social interactions are essential for mental health, by offering emotional support, reducing stress levels, and promoting resilience against drugs of abuse effects. However, not all individuals perceive social interaction as rewarding. Objectives the goal of this study was to investigate whether the modulation of the orexin system can shift passive coping and non-social behavior (vulnerable) to active coping and social behavior (resilient). This knowledge is primordial for stress- and addiction-related disorders, and for other psychiatric disorders involving impairment in social interaction. Methods male C57/BL6N mice categorized into social and non-social groups, received injections of SB334867, a selective orexin 1 receptor (OX1R) antagonist, before the conditioning sessions with a male conspecific of the same weight and age. Results our results from the conditioned place preference test (CPP) show that SB334867 has no effect on social preference in non-social mice, but it reduces their stress levels and depression-like behavior. These effects appear to be due to a higher OX1R expression in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a stress-related brain area, of non-social mice compared to their social counterparts. Conclusions these data suggest that the orexin system may be a target to alleviate stress and depression-like behavior in non-social individuals rather than to promote social reward.

Predicting indoor personalized heat stress using wearable sensors and data-driven models

Rising global temperatures pose heightened heat stress challenges, especially impacting vulnerable populations such as older adults in low-income urban areas of color, who disproportionately face energy inefficiencies and environmental burdens. Traditional research often overlooks individual metabolic rates and behaviors in heat stress assessments, relying instead on isolated environmental measures in laboratory settings. This paper presents a novel, occupant-centric approach that integrates wearable sensor data, building information, and air-conditioning usage to predict extreme heat events and assess their impact on occupants through calibrated thermal building simulations for seven older adults in Houston, Texas. We developed a personalized heat stress model based on existing heat index equations and dynamic predicted mean votes, enhanced by measured metabolic rates. A data-driven machine learning algorithm was then used to predict extreme heat events with this model serving as the ground truth. Our findings reveal that elevated activity levels significantly contribute to discomfort during extreme heat events, often undetected by the heat index equation—an environmental metric—alone. Furthermore, we observe that combining metabolic rates with measured indoor temperatures consistently predicts extreme heat events with over 95 % accuracy, demonstrating almost 13 % improvement compared to using indoor temperature in isolation. This study provides a valuable proof of concept that underscores the merits of integrating multiple data sources to raise the accuracy and predictability of indoor extreme heat events. Our research not only offers potential to enhance early warning systems and guide architectural decisions but also influences building material choices, significantly mitigating the adverse effects of extreme heat.

Adult attachment and dehumanization among Chinese college students: trait attachment and state attachment perspectives.

Current social issues such as bullying, online violence, and local conflicts are all prominent topics in the field of psychology and linked to dehumanization. However, research on dehumanization from a non-Western background has been rare. As a key factor influencing individual behavior, attachment has not been sufficiently integrated into studies on dehumanization. Therefore, this study provides empirical evidence to explore the relationship between adult attachment (both trait and state) and dehumanization. The sample consisted of college students from China. In Study 1 (N = 705) latent profile analysis was employed to exploring the potential categories of trait adult attachment in China, and to investigate how these categories impact dehumanization. Study 2 (N = 281) focused on activating secure attachment and examined the effects of three state attachment types, security, avoidance and anxiety, on dehumanization. Study 1 identified four types of adult attachment: preoccupied, secure, fearful, and dismissing, and revealed that these different attachment types have varying impacts on dehumanization. Study 2 showed that both security and avoidance predict dehumanization. This research established a link between adult attachment and dehumanization, offering new insights into the psychological mechanisms underlying dehumanization and suggesting novel strategies for its prevention and intervention.

Future Sensemaking Beyond Own Business Self-Interests: Insights from Offshore Wind Energy Innovation Ecosystems

This research explores how participants in an innovation ecosystem, operating without a focal firm, can collaboratively envision and create societal value beyond their individual business goals. Using participatory action research, the investigation focuses on two cases within the offshore wind energy sector, involving four complementary enterprises and nine enterprises that are both complementary and competitive. The findings suggest that ecosystem participants can collectively pursue opportunities for sustainable value creation that surpass the interests and goals of individual firms. This shift towards a future-oriented, ecosystem-wide perspective was driven by the focus on ecosystem-level value propositions and the dynamic organizing of heterogeneous knowledge, individual behaviors, and organizational behaviors, enabling successful future-oriented sensemaking. The research process highlights practices that led to significant innovation outcomes, such as halving investments, reducing accidents and rework, accelerating operational flow, and fostering long-term investments, like a floating port for installation and maintenance improvements. This study enhances understanding of how future-oriented sensemaking in innovation ecosystems without a focal firm can drive innovation and societal value creation, offering insights for practitioners, academics, and policymakers on governance and collaborative efforts to enable value creation in innovation ecosystems.

Prediction of individual performance and verbal intelligence scores from resting-state fMRI in children and adolescents.

The neuroimaging basis of intelligence remains elusive; however, there is a growing body of research employing connectome-based predictive modeling to estimate individual intelligence scores, aiming to identify the optimal set of neuroimaging features for accurately predicting an individual's cognitive abilities. Compared to adults, the disparities in cognitive performance among children and adolescents are more likely to captivate individuals' interest and attention. Limited research has been dedicated to exploring neuroimaging markers of intelligence specifically in the pediatric population. In this study, we utilized resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and intelligence quotient (IQ) scores of 170 healthy children and adolescents obtained from a public database to identify brain functional connectivity markers associated with individual intellectual behavior. Initially, we extracted and summarized relevant resting-state features from whole-brain or functional network connectivity that were most pertinent to IQ scores. Subsequently, these features were employed to establish prediction models for both performance and verbal IQ scores. Within a 10-fold cross-validation framework, our findings revealed that prediction models based on whole-brain functional connectivity effectively predicted performance IQ scores( ) but not verbal IQ scores( ). Results of prediction models based on brain functional network connectivity further demonstrated the exceptional predictive ability of the default mode network (DMN) and fronto-parietal task control network (FTPN) for performance IQ scores ( ). The above findings have also been validated using an independent dataset. Our findings suggest that the performance IQ of children and adolescents primarily relies on the connectivity of brain regions associated with DMN and FTPN. Moreover, variations in intellectual performance during childhood and adolescences are closely linked to alterations in brain functional network connectivity.

The Impact of Religion on Insurance Purchasing Behavior: A Dual Perspective with Economic Factors

Rising income levels and increased consumer awareness have led to a more positive attitude towards insurance, resulting in market expansion and heightened competition. However, businesses must consider factors that could negatively impact insurance demand. One significant factor identified in this study is religion. While some religious texts and teachings advocate for collective mutual assistance, certain religious beliefs view insurance negatively for various reasons. Consequently, this research seeks to explore two critical questions: “How do religious beliefs influence the insurance demands and purchasing behaviors of individuals and societies?” and “What are the potential impacts of economic indices on insurance policy purchases?” Answering these questions requires navigating a complex interplay of economic and cultural factors. To address these objectives, the study utilized data such as per capita insurance expenditures, 66 market totals, and national insurance market shares. The analysis also considered the percentage of the total population covered by national health services, as this coverage might reduce the likelihood of acquiring insurance policies. Statistical analyses were employed to assess the influence of religious beliefs on insurance purchasing behavior and to evaluate the effects of economic indices on insurance policy purchases. The research results revealed that individuals who did not adhere to any specific religious doctrine exhibited the highest rate of insurance purchases. Additionally, the influence of economic indices on insurance purchasing behaviors produced significant and undeniable results. In conclusion, this study highlights the considerable impact of religious beliefs on insurance policy purchasing behavior. The findings contribute valuable insights to the existing literature and offer a contemporary perspective for future research in this field.

Peer effects affect the adaptation behaviour of rural residents to geohazards in China: a new policy pathway

ABSTRACT Disaster prevention and mitigation (DPM) is one of the responses to extreme climate change impacts and depends on the adoption of risk adaptation behaviour by rural residents. While residents exhibit a high willingness to adapt, they also show low behaviour with reference to DPM. While adaptation behaviour of individuals has been studied extensively, the mutual impact of adaptation behaviour among residents has so far been neglected in the literature. Evaluating this interaction could serve as an important foundation for refining disaster reduction policies. Drawing on social cognitive theory, we propose a novel theoretical framework to analyze peer effects on individual decision-making in DPM. Using data gathered from 536 respondents in Sichuan Province, China, this paper adopts the Bayes Markov chain Monte Carlo estimation method to perform a regression of the spatial probit model. Further, the propensity score matching model was used to explore peer effects on the transformation between residents’ willingness to actual behaviour. Results indicate significant and robust peer effects on DPM behaviour among residents. A heterogeneity test indicated that peer effects are predominantly observed among residents with low and medium social status perception and not in those with high social status perception. Peer effects have a significant and positive influence on the transformation from residents’ willingness to their behaviour. Residents are not completely independent in their decision-making, and complex social mechanisms dictate rational and irrational choices of behaviour. Therefore, it is necessary to fully consider positive peer effects on residents in the formulation of policies. Key policy insights Focusing on the adaptation behaviours and peer effects of rural residents is conducive to improving the public's acceptance of disaster reduction policies. It is difficult for homogenization policies to accurately meet the needs of rural residents in China, and the response to geohazard events requires diversified local policies. Through peer effect, the government can create a kind of environmental soft pressure and promote the transformation of residents’ willingness into behaviour. Due to peer effects, the government can utilize the leading role of a small number of target groups to reduce the cost of implementing disaster reduction policies.

Correlates of Exercise Behavior Based on Socio-Ecological Theoretical Model among Chinese Urban Adults: An Empirical Study.

Identifying the correlates of exercise behavior is essential to combating physical inactivity as a public health concern. The purpose of this study is to identify the correlates of physical activity among urban Chinese adults under the social-ecological theoretical model in order to facilitate targeted interventions to promote physical activity. Using the socio-ecological model, we conducted a questionnaire survey among 1459 urban residents in Zhejiang and Shaanxi provinces of China, collecting data on individual demographic factors, sociological factors, environmental perception, and exercise behavior. Binary logistic regression models were employed to analyze the relationships between exercise behavior and socio-ecological factors. Male gender (p < 0.01), advanced age (p < 0.001), higher education level (p < 0.05), living independently from parents (p < 0.05), absence of childcare responsibilities (p < 0.01), residence in a county/prefecture-level city (p < 0.001), favorable neighborhood esthetics (p < 0.001), available greenways/parks (p < 0.001), and family support for exercise participation (p < 0.05) were significantly correlated with an increased likelihood of participating in physical activity. Male gender (p < 0.001), advanced age (p < 0.001), absence of childcare responsibilities (p < 0.05), good neighborhood vegetation (p < 0.01), availability of free neighborhood exercise facilities (p < 0.05), and support from friends for exercise participation (p < 0.01) were significantly correlated with an increased likelihood of engaging in physical activity for more than 150 min per week. BMI, community air quality, traffic safety, public safety, and level of social development were not major correlates. To promote exercise behavior, more attention should be paid to individuals who are female, young, have lower levels of education, bear childcare responsibilities, or reside in provincial capitals in China. Improving the habitat environment and providing convenient and affordable facilities should also be considered. Furthermore, support from family and friends can positively reinforce exercise behavior.

Communication range predicts dolphin alliance size in a cooperative mating system

It is well known that communication range, often termed active space,1 varies with habitat structure, and this variation can influence individual vocal behavior across taxa.2,3 While theoretical predictions imply that communication distances can drive the evolution of mammalian alliance sizes,4 empirical tests of this hypothesis are currently lacking. In Shark Bay, Western Australia, unrelated male bottlenose dolphins form multilevel alliances, where males work together in pairs or trios to herd single estrus females.5,6,7,8 Here, we use empirical measures of male dolphin vocalizations, ambient noise levels, and high-resolution bathymetry data to estimate variation in active space across the study site. We combine this with long-term data on male alliance behavior to determine how active space influences alliance group size and mating success. We show that the active space of vocalizations used by allied males in a reproductive context predicts the number of preferred alliance partners with whom individuals cooperate over the longer term, ultimately contributing significantly to male access to mating opportunities. These results reveal that variation in sensory ecology driven by heterogeneous habitat influences optimal cooperative group size and mating success within a single population of wild animals.

Effect of community attitudes on suicide mortality in South Korea: a nationwide ecological study.

Attitudes toward suicide are essential in suicide prevention, as suicide is socio-culturally nuanced. Although the relationship between individual attitudes and suicidal behavior has been extensively studied, the effect of community attitudes-aggregated by region-on suicide mortality remains ambiguous. This study explored the association between community attitudes and real-world suicide mortality. Data on attitudes toward suicide from the 2018 Korea National Suicide Survey (N = 1500) and individual mortality data from the MicroData Integrated System were obtained. Confirmatory factor analysis supported a factor structure with three factors: "Permissiveness," "Unjustified behavior," and "Readiness to help/Preventability." Thirty regional units in South Korea aggregated the data for ecological analysis. We used negative binomial models to examine the association at the regional level, and stratified analysis by gender and age group was conducted. "Permissiveness" was associated with reduced suicide rates in a univariate model (P < 0.001). Adjusting for gender, age, and additional sociodemographics did not alter the association. Additionally, this relationship was observed in males and individuals under 60 years of age after stratification. However, "Unjustified Behavior" and "Readiness to help/Preventability" exhibited no significant association with suicide in any model or stratum. The observed inverse association between permissive community attitudes and suicide contradicts the findings of previous research that links permissive individual attitudes to increased suicidal behavior. Our findings suggest that attitudes may operate differently at the individual and group levels. Although the cross-sectional design and single-country focus of this study warrant further investigation, our findings indicate that attitudes are significant contextual factors in the process of suicide, which could lead to novel approaches in suicide prevention.

The Social Intervention Function of Chinese Pop Music Performance and Its Macro Sociological Analysis

Pop music is a product of human consciousness and widely exists in all known human cultures. Music is not a necessity for human survival, why is it so important to humans? For a long time, social connections have been considered an important function of music and a major factor influencing the evolution of human musicality. The recent hypothesis of music social connection provides a framework for understanding the biological and cultural evolution of music. It suggests that music can coordinate emotions, behaviors, and ideological perspectives among individuals, strengthen intimate relationships between individuals, and thus enhance social cohesion. Pro social behavior is a manifestation of human social connections, which refers to the beneficial behavior of individuals towards others, groups, and society, such as helping behavior. Although studies have shown that listening to prosocial songs and their associated prosocial emotions can promote individual prosocial behavior, it remains unclear whether the music itself and its corresponding emotional experiences are sufficient to influence prosocial behavior after excluding the influence of lyrics. In addition, although some studies suggest that prosocial behavior is related to factors such as individual psychological theory ability and cognitive ability, the mediating effect of music on prosocial behavior through psychological theory ability and cognitive ability has not been verified. Therefore, based on the classic two-dimensional emotional model, this study systematically examines whether music and its induced emotional experiences affect individual prosocial behavior decisions, and further explores the mediating role of psychological theory and cognitive ability.

Building Community-Based Social Capital by Enhancing Individual Social Capital: The Case of Farmers in Turkey’s Konya Region

Social capital refers to the formation of relationships, or working collectively, to achieve a common outcome. The objective of the current study is to determine whether community-based agricultural policy initiatives can succeed in the absence of consistently strong levels of individual farmer social capital behaviors. Targeting farmers from Turkey’s Konya region who also took part in a household survey, we present findings from a hypothetical field experiment of how farmers would allocate wheat endowment during a drought. We found that farmers allocated 48% of wheat endowment to social capital choices. Our results indicate that the more a farmer relies on himself or herself and resources available outside of the community, the less likely it is that the farmer will invest in community efforts.

Socioeconomic status, individual behaviors and risk of anxiety disorders: A Mendelian randomization study

BackgroundThe association between socioeconomic status and individual behaviors (SES/IB) and anxiety disorders has garnered increasing attention, yet the impact of SES/IB on anxiety disorders remains unclear. Therefore, we employed a Mendelian randomization (MR) design to evaluate the causal relationship between SES/IB and anxiety disorders. MethodsWe conducted a two-sample MR study to assess the causal effects of SES and IB (smoking behaviors, drinking behaviors, sleeping behaviors, habitual physical activity, leisure sedentary behaviors, and reproductive behaviors) on anxiety disorders. A series of filtering steps were taken to select eligible genetic instruments robustly associated with each of the traits. The inverse variance weighted was used for preliminary analysis, and multiple methods were used for sensitivity testing. ResultsAfter Bonferroni correction and rigorous quality control, we found that educational attainment (odds ratio [OR]:0.75; 95 % confidence interval [CI]:0.69–0.81; P = 9.21E-12), alcohol consumption per week (OR: 1.62; 95 % CI: 1.33–1.97; P = 1.80E-06), insomnia (OR: 1.68; 95 % CI: 1.43–1.97; P = 1.45E-10),age at first birth (OR: 0.59; 95 % CI: 0.50–0.68; P = 1.31E-11),and number of sexual partners (OR: 2.19; 95 % CI: 1.71–2.80; P = 6.64E-10) were causally associated with anxiety disorders. LimitationsThe subjects included in this study were all of European descent, and whether this finding can be generalized to other populations needs to be further demonstrated. ConclusionsThe MR Study provides strong evidence that some factors influence anxiety disorders.

Exploring tourists’ preferences and willingness to pay for national park recreation improvements based on regret and utility comparison

Research on the improvement of national park recreation policies has attracted much attention to discrete choice experiments to obtain tourists’ preferences and willingness to pay. However, individual choice behavior is extremely complex, and the single Random Utility Maximization (RUM) model ignores anticipated regret and is insufficient to explain individuals’ actual choice behavior. To investigate whether regret influences tourists’ choices regarding the improvement of national park recreation attributes, this study introduces the Random Regret Minimization (RRM) model and explores the performance of polynomial logit models and hybrid latent class models in analyzing discrete choice models based on utility and regret. By constructing a hybrid utility-regret model, we examine how tourists trade off between attributes such as vegetation coverage, water clarity, amount of litter, and level of crowding in national park recreation. Results indicate that the RRM model has better goodness-of-fit and predictive ability than the RUM model, indicating that regret is a significant choice paradigm, and the hybrid model better explains respondents’ choices. Specifically, 62.5% of tourists’ choices are driven by regret, and regret-driven respondents are more inclined to increase vegetation coverage and improve water clarity, while utility-driven respondents are more inclined to reduce litter and crowding. This study not only provides a reference for managers to develop more optimal recreation improvement strategies but also offers theoretical insights for national park recreation improvement policies.

Impact of a Health Promotion Program on Knowledge, Physical Health, Mental Health, and Social Health Behaviors in Individuals at Risk for Colorectal Cancer

Impact of a Health Promotion Program on Knowledge, Physical Health, Mental Health, and Social Health Behaviors in Individuals at Risk for Colorectal Cancer

417 Impact of virtual fence technology on yearling steer behavior and performance

Abstract Virtual fencing (VF) has the capacity to transform the landscape of livestock management within extensive rangeland systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Vence (Merck &amp; Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ) VF technology on yearling steer behavior and performance. Steers were allocated into one of two grazing systems [continuous grazing (CG) or rotational grazing (RG) managed using VF] across three different stocking rates (light, moderate, and heavy, 0.32, 0.40, and 0.72 animal unit months, respectively) for three grazing seasons. Based on initial body weight, steers were randomly blocked into six pastures (346 ± 39, 273 ± 34, and 319 ± 29 kg, respectively) at the South Dakota State University Cottonwood Field Station (n = 127, 135, and 127, in 2021, 2022 and 2023, respectively). Steers assigned to the CG treatment had free access to the entire pasture for the duration of the grazing season. Steers assigned to the RG treatment were rotated among virtual ‘paddocks’ for the duration of the grazing season. The days spent grazing in each paddock for the RG treatment were determined based on bi-weekly clip plots for biomass estimation. The VF collars were used to track steer location at 5-min intervals; only steers assigned to the RG treatment were managed with VF boundaries and exposed to auditory and electrical cues from the collars. Raw data was downloaded from Vence Herd Manager through an automatic programming interface and cleaned by removing messages that failed to transmit correctly or were outside the bounds of study site pastures. Animal behavior metrics of daily distance traveled (DDT), daily grazing time, daily resting time, and daily walking time were calculated for each individual animal and averaged by pasture using Program R. Steer weights were collected using SmartScales (C-Lock Inc, Rapid City, SD). Average daily gain (ADG) was calculated using a linear model to develop a regression equation for each individual animal using weight as the dependent variable and day of trial as the independent variable. The slope of the regression line was used to estimate ADG. Individual DDT, behavior, and performance metrics were analyzed using a mixed model analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the impact of grazing treatment and stocking rate (fixed effects) with year as the random effect. Treatment did not influence (P &amp;gt; 0.05) grazing, walking, or resting behavior. Similarly, no differences were detected in DDT between treatment groups or across different stocking rates. Furthermore, there were no differences (P &amp;gt; 0.05) in ADG across treatment groups. Implementation of VF had no impact on animal behavior or performance, justifying its use in grazing settings; however, financial and cattle finishing aspects still need to be evaluated to determine its overall benefits and costs.

Implementation of intentionally structured psychosocial through folk games and traditional sports in elementary school students

This study aimed to examine the impact of intentionally structured psychosocial programs through folk games and traditional sports on elementary school students. Psychosocial factors influence individual thoughts and behaviors, and traditional games and sports are known for their character-building and cultural values. The research used a pretest-posttest group design with a quantitative approach, focusing on 5th-grade students from Sumur Batu 06 Public Elementary School in Central Jakarta. The primary instrument was the Questionnaire on Psychosocial Adjustment Needs of Grade 7 Students, covering social cognitive, socio-emotional, social, teacher-student, peer, parent, and sibling relationships. The study followed Kendellen's model, which emphasizes focusing on one psychosocial component per lesson, introducing it at the lesson's beginning, teaching it throughout the lesson, and reviewing it at the end. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22, including only students with at least 80% attendance who completed both pre-tests and post-tests. Normality tests confirmed that data from both integrated and non-integrated groups were normally distributed, while homogeneity tests showed that the samples were from a homogeneous population. Paired sample t-tests revealed significant improvements in psychosocial outcomes for both groups, with the integrated group showing a t-value of 7.453 (Sig. 0.000) and the non-integrated group a t-value of 5.121 (Sig. 0.000). These results indicate a significant positive effect of psychosocially integrated traditional games and sports on the psychosocial development of elementary school students. Keywords: Intentionally Structured, Psychosocial, Sports, Traditional Games

191 Awardee Talk: Characterizing biological processes influencing the efficiency of nutrient utilization in growing cattle

Abstract 2Abstract: Residual feed intake (RFI), a metric of feed efficiency, is moderately heritable and minimally associated with body size and productivity, making it an ideal trait for investigation as a selection criterion to improve feed efficiency of growing cattle. The objective of this research was to characterize the inter-animal variation in biological processes of growing cattle selected to be divergent in RFI. Holstein heifers [n = 55; body weight (BW) = 351 ± 64 kg) with low- (n = 29) or high- (n = 26) genomically enhanced RFI (RFIg) were selected from a contemporary group of 453 heifers. Heifers were assigned to 1 of 2 pens, equipped with electronic feed bunks and a GreenFeed gaseous-exchange measurement system. Individual dry matter intake (DMI) and feeding behavior data were collected for 84-d. Body weight was measured weekly, and spot fecal samples collected at weighing. Phenotypic RFI (RFIp) was calculated as the residual from regression of DMI on ADG and mid-test BW0.75. On d 70 of the study a rumen fluid sample was collected via esophageal tubing. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for complete blood count (CBC). A mixed model including the fixed effect of RFIg classification and random effect of pen was used to evaluate the effect of RFIg classification on response variables. There were no differences (P &amp;gt; 0.05) in BW and ADG for heifers with divergent RFIg; however, low RFIg heifers consumed 7.5% less (P &amp;lt; 0.05) feed per day. Consequently, low RFIg heifers exhibited a more favorable (P &amp;lt; 0.05) RFIp (-0.188 vs 0.211 kg/d, respectively). Low RFIg heifers exhibited more favorable feeding behavior, with 8.7% fewer (P &amp;lt; 0.05) bunk visit events per day and an 11.2% slower (P ≤ 0.05) eating rate. Low RFIg heifers had 12.5% greater (P &amp;lt; 0.05) total rumen volatile fatty acid concentrations than high RFIg heifers, indicating potentially enhanced microbial fermentation and improved efficiency of feed utilization. Low RFIg heifers had 8.2% less (P &amp;lt; 0.05) methane emissions (g/d), 6.3% less (P &amp;lt; 0.05) carbon dioxide production (g/d), and 6.1% less (P &amp;lt; 0.05) heat production (Mcal/d) calculated according to Brouwer (1965) than high RFIg heifers. Dry matter digestibility did not differ (P &amp;gt; 0.05) between heifers with divergent RFIg. Overall, heifers selected to be more feed efficient exhibited more favorable energy efficiencies and feed efficiency phenotypes. To quantify the variation in RFIg explained by feeding behavior, gas flux, digestibility and rumen fermentation, and CBC partial least squares regression models were developed. Feeding behavior accounted for the largest proportion of variation in RFIg (28.8%). Upon sequential addition of gas flux, digestibility and rumen fermentation, and CBC to feeding behavior, 56.3% of the variation in RFIg was accounted for. Identifying the magnitude at which metabolic processes influence inter-animal variation in efficiency of nutrient utilization provides opportunities to discover valuable candidate biomarkers for selection of more feed efficient cattle.

The Literature Review of Sensory Processing Sensitivity

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a personal characteristic that significantly affects a series of individual behaviors, which makes SPS has long been widely concerned and studied by scholars. However, although scholars have carried out a lot of research on SPS, the existing research has not systematically and comprehensively sorted out and explored SPS, which is not conducive for scholars to have a comprehensive understanding of SPS. Based on this research status, firstly, this study teases out the existing SPS research, systematically introduces the concept of SPS, expounds its differences and connections with similar constructs, and discusses different measurement scales of SPS. Secondly, this study reviews the antecedents and consequences of SPS. Antecedents include innate factors and acquired environmental factors, while consequences are reviewed and sorted out from both positive and negative aspects. Finally, this study proposes directions for future research on SPS, thus providing ideas and directions for scholars to continue to explore SPS. This study aims to provide a comprehensive academic foundation for further exploration of SPS.