Behavioral Response Patterns Research Articles

Bioaccumulation and behavioral response patterns of crucian carp (Carassius carassius) after carbamazepine exposure and elimination

The antiepileptic drug carbamazepine (CBZ) has been widely detected in freshwater, yet its toxic actions in fish at multiple endpoints and the subsequent recovery patterns of the impacted are less discussed. This study investigated the bioaccumulation, physiological and behavioral changes of crucian carp (Carassius carassius) following CBZ exposure (G1 = 6.15 μg/L, G2 = 61.5 μg/L, G3 = 615 μg/L, G4 = 6150 μg/L) and subsequent recovery. Our results showed that CBZ was more likely to accumulate in the liver and brain than in the gills. A concentration-dependent phenomenon was observed; however, the residual CBZ decreased to similar levels after recovery. The behavioral indicators (i.e. feeding, social and spontaneous swimming) were significantly inhibited after 7-days of CBZ exposure, and only recovered at low concentration treatment (G1) after 7-days recovery in CBZ-free water. The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the brain and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the liver and gills were induced after CBZ exposure and returned to normal levels after 7-days of recovery. In contrast, the inhibition of catalase (CAT) activity caused by CBZ exposure persisted in the high concentration treatment (G4) after recovery. Furthermore, correlation analysis indicated that changes in feeding behavior were closely related to the variation of CBZ concentrations in tissues, and the persistence of abnormal swimming and social behavior was closely related to gill CAT activity. These findings contribute to explore the toxic mechanisms of CBZ and highlight the recovery process and connections between various endpoints.

Implicit and explicit motor imagery ability after SCI: Moving the elbow makes the difference

Cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) causes dramatic sensorimotor deficits that restrict both activity and participation. Restoring activity and participation requires extensive upper limb rehabilitation focusing elbow and wrist movements, which can include motor imagery. Yet, it remains unclear whether MI ability is impaired or spared after SCI. We investigated implicit and explicit MI ability in individuals with C6 or C7 SCI (SCIC6 and SCIC7 groups), as well as in age- and gender-matched controls without SCI. Inspired by previous studies, implicit MI evaluations involved hand laterality judgments, hand orientation judgments (HOJT) and hand-object interaction judgments. Explicit MI evaluations involved mental chronometry assessments of physically possible or impossible movements due to the paralysis of upper limb muscles in both groups of participants with SCI. HOJT was the paradigm in which implicit MI ability profiles differed the most between groups, particularly in the SCIC6 group who had impaired elbow movements in the horizontal plane. MI ability profiles were similar between groups for explicit MI evaluations, but reflected task familiarity with higher durations in the case of unfamiliar movements in controls or attempt to perform movements which were no longer possible in persons with SCI. Present results, obtained from a homogeneous population of individuals with SCI, suggest that people with long-term SCI rely on embodied cognitive motor strategies, similar to controls. Differences found in behavioral response pattern during implicit MI mirrored the actual motor deficit, particularly during tasks that involved internal representations of affected body parts.

Swimming behavior as a potential metric to detect satiation levels of European seabass in marine cages

Aquaculture is anticipated to contribute to two-thirds of the world’s fish consumption by 2030, emphasizing the need for innovative methods to optimize practices for economic viability, social responsibility, and environmental sustainability. Feeding practices play a pivotal role in aquaculture success and the feeding requirements are dynamic, influenced by factors like fish size, environmental conditions, and health status necessitating ongoing improvements in feeding practices. This study addresses a critical gap in feeding control systems in sea cages. It introduces a continuous, real-time monitoring system for analyzing the feeding behavior of European seabass, employing advanced AI models (YOLO and DEEPSORT) and computer vision techniques. The investigation focuses on key parameters, including speed and the newly defined feeding behavior index (FBI), to evaluate swimming responses under varying feeding scenarios exploring meal frequency, feeding time, and feeding quantity. The findings reveal a sensitivity of fish speed and the feeding behavior index (FBI) to different feeding scenarios, elucidating distinct behavioral patterns in response to varying frequencies, times, and quantities of feeding, such as increased activity in the morning relative to later times and the emergence of asymmetric activity patterns when fish are underfed or overfed. Notably, this study is one of the few in the field, presenting the development of a continuous, real-time monitoring system for feeding control in sea cages. Simultaneously, it explores reference curves and threshold values to enhance the overall efficacy of feeding control measures.

Portuguese adaptation of the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire (BIQ)

Behavioral inhibition (BI) is a temperamental trait characterized by a consistent pattern of behavioral and emotional responses to unfamiliar people and novel situations. BI exhibits moderate stability across development and is considered a risk factor for the emergence of emotional disorders in adolescence and adulthood, making early assessment crucial for understanding this behavioral pattern. In the Portuguese context, there is a paucity of measures specifically designed to assess BI in childhood. To address this gap, we aimed to adapt and examine the psychometric properties of the Behavioral Inhibition Questionnaire (BIQ) in Portuguese children. We obtained BIQ ratings from both parents and teachers of 435 children (average age = 57.1 months; SD = 13.8). Confirmatory factor analysis supported a six-factor measurement model, each factor loading onto a higher-order BI factor. Additionally, we included a method factor to account for reversed items. Full scalar measurement invariance across gender and age groups was supported. Parents and teachers showed good agreement in their ratings of BIQ scores. Comparisons with other instruments revealed good convergent validity. The BIQ scores showed acceptable reliability, although the subscales exhibited limited sensitivity in discriminating between different contexts where BI may manifest. This study suggests that the BIQ is a reliable and valid tool for assessing BI in Portuguese children.

The behavioral and neural response patterns of growth mindset affecting learning process: A perspective from self-regulation learning theory

The behavioral and neural response patterns of growth mindset affecting learning process: A perspective from self-regulation learning theory

Using behavior and eye-fixations to detect feigned memory impairment.

Detecting invalid cognitive performance is an important clinical challenge in neuropsychological assessment. The aim of this study was to explore behavior and eye-fixations responses during the performance of a computerized version of the Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM-C) under standard vs. feigning conditions. TOMM-C with eye-tracking recording was performed by 60 healthy individuals (31 with standard instruction - SI; and 29 were instructed to feign memory impairment: 21 Naïve Simulators - NS and 8 Coached Simulators - CS) and 14 patients with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and memory complaints performed. Number of correct responses, response time, number of fixations, and fixation time in old vs. new stimuli were recorded. Nonparametric tests were applied for group comparison. NS produced fewer correct responses and had longer response times in comparison to SI on all three trials. SI showed more fixations and longer fixation time on previously presented stimuli (i.e., familiarity preference) specially on Trial 1, whereas NS had more fixations and longer fixation time on new stimuli (i.e., novelty preference) specially in the Retention trial. MS patients produced longer response time and had a different fixation pattern than SI subjects. No behavioral or oculomotor difference was observed between NS and CS. Healthy simulators have a distinct behavioral and eye-fixation response pattern, reflecting a novelty preference. Oculomotor measures may be useful to detect exaggeration or fabrication of cognitive dysfunction. Though, its application in clinical populations may be limited.

Конфликтное поведение сунданских студентов-мусульман: роль идеологии и предполагаемой несправедливости

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective. </strong>Exploration of the psychological factors of conflict-related action among Sundanese Muslim students in Indonesia. <br><strong>Background. </strong>Religious-based conflicts have been widely examined in various disciplines, attracting responses and factors in every cultural context. <br><strong>Study design. </strong>Study 1 used an indigenous-based survey and was analyzed by thematic analysis. Study 2 examined the role of political ideology and perceived injustice in conflict-related behavior using hierarchical regression analysis. <br><strong>Participants. </strong>Study 1: 224 people (35,7% of men, 64,3% of women) from 18 to 49 years old (<em>M </em>= 20,98; <em>SD</em> = 3,72). Study 2: 494 people (35,6% of men, 64,4% of women) from 17 to 49 years old (<em>M</em> = 20,00; <em>SD</em> = 1,52).<br><strong>Measurements. </strong>Indonesian-language versions of the scales of religious fundamentalism ideology by Muluk and colleagues, violent extremist attitude by Nivette and colleagues, nonviolent direct action by Brown and colleagues, and sensitivity to injustice by Schmitt and colleagues. <br><strong>Results. </strong>Study 1 showed specific patterns of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses. There are differences in the respondents' responses to conflicts between and within religions. These differences are caused by ideology orientation towards religion and perception of injustice towards their groups. Study 2 confirmed Study 1 that religious fundamentalism predicts both violent and nonviolent behavior. Also, perceived injustice of victims moderates the effect of religious fundamentalism to violent behavior. Meanwhile, perceived injustice of perpetrators predicts only nonviolent behavior. <br><strong>Conclusions. </strong>There is a significant effect of religious-based ideology and perceived injustice on conflict-related behavior in the Sundanese Muslim context.</p>

Normal behavioral discrimination of envelope statistics in budgerigars with kainate-induced cochlear synaptopathy

Cochlear synaptopathy is a common pathology in humans associated with aging and potentially sound overexposure. Synaptopathy is widely expected to cause “hidden hearing loss,” including difficulty perceiving speech in noise, but support for this hypothesis is controversial. Here in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus), we evaluated the impact of long-term cochlear synaptopathy on behavioral discrimination of Gaussian noise (GN) and low-noise noise (LNN) signals processed to have a flatter envelope. Stimuli had center frequencies of 1–3kHz, 100-Hz bandwidth, and were presented at sensation levels (SLs) from 10 to 30dB. We reasoned that narrowband, low-SL stimuli of this type should minimize spread of excitation across auditory-nerve fibers, and hence might reveal synaptopathy-related defects if they exist. Cochlear synaptopathy was induced without hair-cell injury using kainic acid (KA). Behavioral threshold tracking experiments characterized the minimum stimulus duration above which animals could reliably discriminate between LNN and GN. Budgerigar thresholds for LNN-GN discrimination ranged from 40 to 60ms at 30dB SL, were similar across frequencies, and increased for lower SLs. Notably, animals with long-term 39–77% estimated synaptopathy performed similarly to controls, requiring on average a ∼7.5% shorter stimulus duration (-0.7±1.0dB; mean difference ±SE) for LNN-GN discrimination. Decision-variable correlation analyses of detailed behavioral response patterns showed that individual animals relied on envelope cues to discriminate LNN and GN, with lesser roles of FM and energy cues; no difference was found between KA-exposed and control groups. These results suggest that long-term cochlear synaptopathy does not impair discrimination of low-level signals with different envelope statistics.

Phototactic Behavioral Responses of Mesozooplankton in the Barents Sea as an Indicator of Anthropogenic Impact

The behavioral responses of autochthonous organisms have recently been used for a system to monitor the state of fresh and sea waters for bioindication. The advantage of using the behavioral responses of mesozooplankton is determined by the higher sensitivity of such responses compared with changes in the composition of biota or the death of organisms. Earlier, we developed and tested in laboratory conditions and in freshwater reservoirs a submersible digital holographic camera as part of a hydrobiological probe, which allows one to determine the dimensions, shape and recognition of plankters in situ, as well as define the concentration of plankters in the working volume and perform photostimulation with attractive radiation with different levels of illuminance. This paper presents the data obtained during the expedition to the Barents Sea. The variability with regard to the immersion depth of the phototropic response and the interspecific and intraspecific diversity was determined. It was shown that within the framework of natural variability in natural factors (temperature, salinity, hydrostatic pressure, oxygen content, illumination) there are no reliable changes in the indicator response, unlike changes in the concentration of plankton associated with tidal currents. The anthropogenic distortion of water quality was modeled by introducing a saturated salt solution dropwise. There were no significant changes in the intraspecific and interspecific diversity index during the external impact, and the rhythms of tidal changes in the concentration of plankters were suppressed. The fact of increased phototropic sensitivity in crustaceans with a size of less than 120 μm was found. It was established that the most essential marker of the alternating factor was the suppression of the phototropic response. The identified patterns of behavioral responses of autochthonous zooplankton make it possible to create a network of continuous control over the environmental health of water bodies subject to increased anthropogenic impact (oil production zones beyond the Arctic Circle, estuaries and deltas of rivers carrying industrial waste).

Research activity induces change in nest position but does not affect nest success in a vulnerable babbler

AbstractStudies show that birds cognize human disturbance as a potential predation risk. However, the responses of breeding birds to long‐term continuous disturbance by research activities and whether researcher disturbance affects the fitness of target species remain poorly understood. In this study, we used field observation data collected over 6 years to assess the potential impacts of research activities on nest‐site selection and nest success of the Emei Shan Liocichla (Liocichla omeiensis), a vulnerable babbler species endemic to Southwest China. Our results showed that Emei Shan Liocichlas tended to nest in taller nesting plants or the higher parts of nesting plants to increase nest‐site height following researcher disturbance. The average height of Emei Shan Liocichla nests increased by 52.2% over the 6‐year study period, from 129.8 ± 9.2 cm in 2009 (n = 11) to 197.5 ± 12.1 cm in 2015 (n = 18). While some pairs adopted a different strategy, placing their nests in Rosaceae plants with thorns instead of the bamboo Chimonobambusa szechuanensis (the favored nesting plant of the Emei Shan Liocichla) under high interference pressure, which made it more difficult for researchers to approach their nests. There were no significant differences both in clutch size and nest success between the low‐ and high‐disturbance groups. The study revealed the behavioral response pattern of breeding Emei Shan Liocichlas to researcher disturbance, which will contribute to conservation of this threatened songbird and the knowledge of reproductive strategies of birds. Developing specific guidelines for fieldwork and strengthening visitor management within its core habitat of Emei Shan Liocichla during breeding period should be considered.

A nomothetic theory of well-being: four functional abilities that promote psychological stability and resilience

As longevity increases, understanding how a person maintains well-being and builds resilience to adversity becomes increasingly important. The present work (a) composes main cognitive elements into a universal psychological multisystem and (b) explains the factors that contribute to the function of this multisystem within physical space and across time. Drawing on established theories and previous findings, a theoretical reconstruction of a universal architecture serves to identify the principles a person needs to satisfy as a dynamic system that is governed by physical laws. A novel conceptual model generates testable hypotheses regarding how a universal cognitive multisystem, which is aided by a universal embodied emotional system, facilitates endless behavioral patterns in response to the environment. This theoretical framework compliments previous models and proposes that the nomothetic parameters of consistency, flexibility, self/others ratio and speed of meaning can explain inter- and intra-individual differences in psychological stability and resilience. The present work provides a comprehensive theory and methodological guidelines for the systematic assessment of well-being. This new approach to investigating well-being may open a new research direction and inform preventive and therapeutic interventions.

Phototropic Behavioral Responses of Zooplankton in Lake Baikal In Situ and during the Anthropogenic Impact Modeling

Earlier, we showed that the registration of the behavioral responses of autochthonous mesozooplankton communities in situ is a more dynamic methodological approach in the biological assessment of the environmental well-being of aquatic ecosystems, as well as an alternative method to generally accepted tests on mortality and immobilization. The change in behavioral responses, including phototropic responses, may occur at lower concentrations of pollutants, leading to the inhibition of the risk-avoidance response of predatory fish attack and, ultimately, to the change in zooplankton abundance and biodiversity. The biological significance of such changes is quite high since zooplankters form the basis of food chains. This work studies the possibility of biomonitoring the quality of fresh water in Lake Baikal according to the state of the autochthonous mesozooplankton community in summer and winter using a digital holographic camera developed and tested by us in laboratory conditions. This method makes it possible to determine the concentration of plankters in the controlled volume of the DHC and perform photostimulation with different levels of illuminance. The depth profilometry of the phototropic response was compared with the profilometry of plankton concentration, intraspecific diversity of crustaceans according to the Pielou index, and the results of catching using the Juday net in the natural environment of the lake and during the modeling of the anthropogenic impact (introduction of table salt solution into the local area close to the registration probe). The circadian rhythm parameters were determined by the spectral analysis of the long-term registration of the phototropic response dynamics. It was noted that the inhibition of the phototropic response was the most adequate marker of the exogenous impact and the appearance of an alternating factor among the studied indicators of the state of the plankton community, namely, intraspecific diversity, synchronism of circadian rhythms, and response to paired photostimulation. The revealed patterns of behavioral responses of autochthonous zooplankton in natural and artificially modified conditions will allow for the implementation of long-term continuous control over the environmental well-being of water areas, including the collection ponds of treatment facilities, cooling ponds of nuclear power plants, and other water areas in contact with potentially hazardous facilities. The comparison of the identified patterns with the behavioral responses of euryhaline mesozooplankton will expand this method to assess the well-being of salt-water and marine reservoirs under the anthropogenic impact and will make it possible to create a continuous monitoring system.

Carotenoid ornaments and the spandrels of physiology: a critique of theory to explain condition dependency.

Even as numerous studies have documented that the red and yellow coloration resulting from the deposition of carotenoids serves as an honest signal of condition, the evolution of condition dependency is contentious. The resource trade-off hypothesis proposes that condition-dependent honest signalling relies on a trade-off of resources between ornamental display and body maintenance. By this model, condition dependency can evolve through selection for a re-allocation of resources to promote ornament expression. By contrast, the index hypothesis proposes that selection focuses mate choice on carotenoid coloration that is inherently condition dependent because production of such coloration is inexorably tied to vital cellular processes. These hypotheses for the origins of condition dependency make strongly contrasting and testable predictions about ornamental traits. To assess these two models, we review the mechanisms of production of carotenoids, patterns of condition dependency involving different classes of carotenoids, and patterns of behavioural responses to carotenoid coloration. We review evidence that traits can be condition dependent without the influence of sexual selection and that novel traits can show condition-dependent expression as soon as they appear in a population, without the possibility of sexual selection. We conclude by highlighting new opportunities for studying condition-dependent signalling made possible by genetic manipulation and expression of ornamental traits in synthetic biological systems.

The informational affective tie mechanism: on the role of uncertainty, context, and attention in caring

This paper proposes and applies a formal theoretical model of an automatic (prosocial and antisocial) caring mechanism: the informational affective tie mechanism (iATM) model. Novel in the formalization is the factoring in of information extraction concerning the behavioral type of agents interacted with, jointly with the contexts of these interactions and the attention they attract. Empirical support comes from five very different data sources: experimental findings, econometric results, model-based brain scanning (fMRI) findings, additional neurobiological evidence, and translational and evolutionary evidence. Applications address: the impact of time pressure and cognitive load; the endogeneity of different behavioral response patterns (like tit-for-tat); social preference drift and tipping points in collective action; why behavioral survey questions can be problematic; spread of caring through affective networks, an uncertainty-based link between social-, risk- and time-preferences; happiness and identity; and, the neglected political economic role of communities (next to centralized authorities and markets). The endogeneity of caring preferences sharply contrasts with the standard assumption in economic theory of stable (mostly selfish) preferences. Moreover, the provision of a neurobiological underpinning moves the iATM model away from the standard as-if approach towards an as-is approach. Although the focus is on humans, some attention will be paid also to the model’s relevance for studying other species.

Behavioural Response Patterns on the Government Incentives Influencing Compliance Behaviour of Business Zakat among SMEs

Government incentives and compliance behaviour of business zakat have a significant relationship as revealed by a few studies. However, the lack of study focused on respondents' response on the government incentives in influencing compliance behaviour of business zakat. Hence, this article examines the usage of Rasch Wright map in evaluating the behavioural response patterns on the government incentives and compliance behaviour of business zakat among SMEs. A total of 276 questionnaires were collected from SMEs entrepreneurs in Selangor. The Rasch Measurement Model was employed to analyze the data. Out of the 276 questionnaires collected, only 247 responses were consistent with the Rasch Measurement Model. Among the respondents, 107 individuals (43.3%) who complied with business zakat payment were influenced by government incentives, while 140 individuals (56.7%) who did not comply with business zakat payment were likely not influenced by government incentives. This study's results highlight the importance of the Rasch Measurement Model in elucidating the response patterns of participants, demonstrating its ability to explain how government incentives impact compliance behavior regarding business zakat among SMEs. This study has illustrated that this method of analysis is expedient in identifying the unusual and inappropriate response patterns and items based on fit statistics and misfit response series compared others. This shows that the Rasch Measurement analysis is an alternative tool to investigate the behavioural response patterns since analyze items and respondents of the study. This study suggests that future research regarding compliance and zakat employ the Rasch Measurement Model analysis as an alternative method to identify ability of respondents and the response behavior patterns among respondents.

Presymptomatic Reduction of Individuality in the AppNL-F Knockin Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

BackgroundOne-third of the risk for Alzheimer’s disease is explained by environment and lifestyle, but Alzheimer’s disease pathology might also affect lifestyle and thereby impair the individual potential for health behavior and prevention. MethodsWe examined in mice how the AppNL-F/NL-F (NL-F) knockin mutation affects the presymptomatic response to environmental enrichment (ENR) as an experimental paradigm addressing nongenetic factors. We assessed the emergence of interindividual phenotypic variation under the condition that both the genetic background and the shared environment were held constant, thereby isolating the contribution of individual behavior (nonshared environment). ResultsAfter 4 months of ENR, the mean and variability of plasma ApoE were increased in NL-F mice, suggesting a presymptomatic variation in pathogenic processes. Roaming entropy as a measure of behavioral activity was continuously assessed with radiofrequency identification (RFID) technology and revealed reduced habituation and variance in NL-F mice compared with control animals, which do not carry a Beyreuther/Iberian mutation. Intraindividual variation decreased, while behavioral stability was reduced in NL-F mice. Seven months after discontinuation of ENR, we found no difference in plaque size and number, but ENR increased variance in hippocampal plaque counts in NL-F mice. A reactive increase in adult hippocampal neurogenesis in NL-F mice, known from other models, was normalized by ENR. ConclusionsOur data suggest that while NL-F has early effects on individual behavioral patterns in response to ENR, there are lasting effects on cellular plasticity even after the discontinuation of ENR. Hence, early behavior matters for maintaining individual behavioral trajectories and brain plasticity even under maximally constrained conditions.

Strategic Pauses Relieve Listeners from the Effort of Listening to Fast Speech: Data Limited and Resource Limited Processes in Narrative Recall by Adult Users of Cochlear Implants.

Speech that has been artificially accelerated through time compression produces a notable deficit in recall of the speech content. This is especially so for adults with cochlear implants (CI). At the perceptual level, this deficit may be due to the sharply degraded CI signal, combined with the reduced richness of compressed speech. At the cognitive level, the rapidity of time-compressed speech can deprive the listener of the ordinarily available processing time present when speech is delivered at a normal speech rate. Two experiments are reported. Experiment 1 was conducted with 27 normal-hearing young adults as a proof-of-concept demonstration that restoring lost processing time by inserting silent pauses at linguistically salient points within a time-compressed narrative ("time-restoration") returns recall accuracy to a level approximating that for a normal speech rate. Noise vocoder conditions with 10 and 6 channels reduced the effectiveness of time-restoration. Pupil dilation indicated that additional effort was expended by participants while attempting to process the time-compressed narratives, with the effortful demand on resources reduced with time restoration. In Experiment 2, 15 adult CI users tested with the same (unvocoded) materials showed a similar pattern of behavioral and pupillary responses, but with the notable exception that meaningful recovery of recall accuracy with time-restoration was limited to a subgroup of CI users identified by better working memory spans, and better word and sentence recognition scores. Results are discussed in terms of sensory-cognitive interactions in data-limited and resource-limited processes among adult users of cochlear implants.

Recovery Pattern of Behavioral Responses in Female Zebrafish to Short–term Amitriptyline Hydrochloride Exposure

Recovery Pattern of Behavioral Responses in Female Zebrafish to Short–term Amitriptyline Hydrochloride Exposure

Behavioral response pattern of Aythya baeri under different weather conditions during wintering

We observed behavior response of overwintering Aythya baeri to different weather conditions by using fixed point-based observation and scanning sampling methods, at Henan Minquan National Wetland Park during November to December 2018. The results showed that, on sunny days, the dominant behaviors of A. baeri were resting, flying, and locomotion (65.5%), the second were foraging and maintaining (31.9%). The daily behavioral rhythm was foraging in the morning, resting at noon, and foraging and maintain in the afternoon. The flying usually occurred before the peak of foraging. The locomotion behavior was mostly accompanied by other behaviors, which positively associated with foraging and negatively correlated with resting. A. baeri increased resting and foraging in rainy days compared with that in sunny days. The dominant behaviors were resting, foraging and locomotion (76.5%), and maintaining and flying were the secondary (20.3%). The peaks of foraging and resting postponed to the evening, while the flying and maintaining were significantly decreased. Compared with the sunny days, the resting, foraging, locomotion and maintaining behaviors were increased in mist days, and flying was decreased. The peak of foraging delayed to the noon and afternoon, and that of resting postponed to the afternoon. The dominant behaviors were resting, locomotion and foraging (70.6%), while maintaining and flying behavior were the secondary (27.5%). In summary, there are variations in time allocation of A. baeri behaviors, activity rhythm and dominant behaviors due to the change of weather conditions during wintering. To overcome the bad weather conditions in rainy and mist days, A. baeri would allocate more time on foraging for increasing energy intake, and more resting time for reducing energy consumption.

The Development and Validation of the First German Open Scale of Social Information Processing

Introduction: This study introduces the first German Open Scale of Social Information Processing (GOSSIP) and evaluates its psychometric properties. Even though social information processing (SIP) and its important role in developmental psychopathology is a rising field of interest, model-based standardized assessment tools are still scarce. Methods: GOSSIP was developed to assess SI processes in boys and girls aged eight to 21 years. First, 61 vignettes (combinations of pictures and short written descriptions of the situation depicted) were evaluated by an expert group and piloted with 48 healthy participants (aged 8–21). The best-rated vignettes were then implemented in a Web-based application. 191 participants completed GOSSIP. Of those, 76 answered additional questionnaires to assess their social skills and psychopathology. Internal consistencies for the emotional and cognitive GOSSIP scales were determined. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify subgroups of children and adolescents characterized by specific SIP profiles (i.e., patterns of emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses to the GOSSIP). Furthermore, the external validity of the participants’ attribution tendencies in GOSSIP was evaluated in real life by smartphone-based Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMA). Results: The internal consistencies for the emotional and cognitive scales (angry, ashamed, physical aggression, pro-social response, revenge, and outcome expectancy) were good to excellent. The scales of hostile interpretation, relation aggression, sadness, and exclusion showed borderline/acceptable internal consistency. Correlation analysis confirmed convergent validity with self-reported social skills and external validity with ratings of aggressive and pro-social behaviors. The LPA revealed three profiles as the best fit of the data. The first group is named “aggressors,” the second “social-emotional group,” and a third named “ashamed-internalizing group.” However, no significant association was found between the attribution tendencies derived from GOSSIP and EMA data. Discussion/Conclusion: GOSSIP is the first model-based German Web-based assessment for several SIP mechanisms that showed overall adequate psychometric properties. GOSSIP can be used to classify individuals into SIP profiles that differ in terms of their cognitive and emotional response tendencies and therefore could contribute to the development of targeted interventions. Integrating assessments of emotional responses into GOSSIP revealed an important role of “shame” in SIP and the development of psychopathology. Furthermore, the lack of external validity between GOSSIP and EMA calls into question how attribution tendencies are best assessed in future studies.