Positive Affective States Research Articles

Hatha Yoga Improves Psychophysiological Responses of College Students in Both Indoor and Outdoor Environments

College students experience increased stress levels that could predispose them to develop mental and physical health conditions throughout adulthood. Yoga is an ancient mind-body practice including breath techniques, body exercises, and meditation that may be a useful strategy for enhancing college student health. Likewise, exposure to nature has been shown to have beneficial impacts on human health. This study investigates physiological and psychological responses of college students to yoga practiced in outdoor versus indoor environments. Fifty-eight college females between the ages of 18-28 were randomly assigned to complete a 40-minute Hatha yoga session either indoors (empty classroom) or outdoors (green park) at a mid-sized public university. Heart rate, respiration rate, perfusion index, and positive and negative affect states were recorded pre/post yoga. Heart rate, respiration rate, and negative affect significantly improved after the yoga sessions in both indoor and outdoor environments. Baseline self-reported negative affect was significantly lower in the outdoor group compared to the indoor group. There were no significant interaction effects of yoga and environment. This study suggests that one 40-minute-session of Hatha yoga may be a useful method to alleviate acute signs of physiological stress and decrease negative affect for college females in both indoor and outdoor environments. Further research about potential synergistic effects of yoga and exposure to nature is warranted to better understand whether the environment in which yoga is practiced could enhance the benefits of this mind-body modality on health.

Evaluation of miRNA as Biomarkers of Emotional Valence in Pigs.

Simple SummaryIt is widely recognized that the assessment of animal welfare should include measures of positive emotional (affective) state. Existing behavioral and physiological indicators of a positive affective state frequently lack sensitivity, objectivity or are unsuitable in a production environment. Therefore, there is a need to develop new approaches to accurately and objectively measure a positive emotional state in animals, including novel molecular markers such a miRNA. These biomarkers must be measurable in the peripheral circulation and provide an accurate account of the physiological and molecular activity in regions of the brain associated with emotional processing. Further, such markers require validation against established behavioral and physiological indices. Here we investigated the efficacy of circulating miRNA as biomarkers of emotional state in the pig.The ability to assess the welfare of animals is dependent on our ability to accurately determine their emotional (affective) state, with particular emphasis being placed on the identification of positive emotions. The challenge remains that current physiological and behavioral indices are either unable to distinguish between positive and negative emotional states, or they are simply not suitable for a production environment. Therefore, the development of novel measures of animal emotion is a necessity. Here we investigated the efficacy of microRNA (miRNA) in the brain and blood as biomarkers of emotional state in the pig. Female Large White × Landrace pigs (n = 24) were selected at weaning and trained to perform a judgment bias test (JBT), before being exposed for 5 weeks to either enriched (n = 12) or barren housing (n = 12) conditions. Pigs were tested on the JBT once prior to treatment, and immediately following treatment. MiRNA and neurotransmitters were analyzed in blood and brain tissue after euthanasia. Treatment had no effect on the outcomes of the JBT. There was also no effect of treatment on miRNA expression in blood or the brain (FDR p > 0.05). However, pigs exposed to enriched housing had elevated dopamine within the striatum compared to pigs in barren housing (p = 0.02). The results imply that either (a) miRNAs are not likely to be valid biomarkers of a positive affective state, at least under the type of conditions employed in this study, or (b) that the study design used to modify affective state was not able to create differential affective states, and therefore establish the validity of miRNA as biomarkers.

Developing Recommendations for Cumulative Endpoints and Lifetime Use for Research Animals.

Simple SummaryThe welfare of research animals should be a top priority in any research program, and that includes their long-term welfare. Animals may be used in multiple experiments or used for training purposes, which may lead to cumulative suffering. To prevent this, humane endpoints need to be defined specifying limits on experiments, procedures, and time that animals are used for research. There are few resources available for deciding which criteria to use when making endpoint decisions. The purpose of this paper is to present results of a survey identifying laboratory animal professionals’ attitudes and institutional strategies regarding cumulative endpoints, review regulations and tools addressing cumulative welfare in research animals and provide recommendations for how to move forward addressing this issue. While institutions may have endpoint guidelines in place, many of them only cover certain species or may be informal. There is a need for more specific guidelines that allow for the diversity of experiments using animals. Welfare assessment tools could help provide objective guidance on humane endpoints for research animals. Further research on which tools are the most efficient and comprehensive would be beneficial in improving animal welfare as well as the quality of the science using research animals.Research animals are important for scientific advancement, and therefore, their long-term welfare needs to be monitored to not only minimize suffering, but to provide positive affective states and experiences. Currently, there is limited guidance in countries around the world on cumulative and experimental endpoints. This paper aims to explore current opinions and institutional strategies regarding cumulative use and endpoints through a scoping survey and review of current regulations and welfare assessment tools, and ultimately to provide recommendations for assessment of cumulative and lifetime use of research animals. The survey found that only 36% of respondents indicated that their institution had cumulative use endpoint policies in place, but these policies may be informal and/or vary by species. Most respondents supported more specific guidelines but expressed concerns about formal policies that may limit their ability to make case-by-case decisions. The wide diversity in how research animals are used makes it difficult for specific policies to be implemented. Endpoint decisions should be made in an objective manner using standardized welfare assessment tools. Future research should focus on robust, efficient welfare assessment tools that can be used to support planning and recommendations for cumulative endpoints and lifetime use of research and teaching animals.

Identification of Animal-Based Welfare Indicators in Captive Reptiles: A Delphi Consultation Survey.

Simple SummaryReptiles are commonly housed in human care in zoo and wildlife parks, and as pets. In comparison to many other taxa, especially mammals, there is less known about their behavioral repertoire and how this may be used to assess their welfare. Furthermore, there is a current focus of zoos and wildlife parks to instigate formal assessment of welfare using species-appropriate welfare assessment tools. These tools should ideally comprise a mixture of resource-based and animal-focused indicators of welfare. Since there has been little consideration of animal-based indicators of welfare in reptiles, this study utilized a method of expert consultation (Delphi method) to gather opinions as to the validity and reliability of a range of animal-based criteria for assessment of reptile welfare. The resulting list of criteria comprises both health indicators and behavior-based measures. Further validation of these indicators in practical scenarios is now required to develop reptile-specific welfare assessment tools for use in zoos.There is an increasing focus on evidence-based welfare assessment by animal care staff in zoos, along with a strong interest in animal welfare by the zoo-visiting public, to the extent that this can influence their choice of institutions to visit. Regulatory oversight of animal welfare standards continues to strengthen across many jurisdictions. Zoos are increasingly formalizing their practices with the development and refinement of evidence-based welfare assessment tools. There has been a drive for welfare assessment tools to comprise both resource-based and animal-based measures. However, animal-based indicators are not always well characterized, in terms of their nature and whether they infer a positive or negative affective state. This is especially so for reptiles, which are often considered behaviorally inexpressive and are under-researched. In this study, a Delphi consultation approach was used to gather expert opinion on the suitability of potential animal-based indicators of welfare for inclusion in a welfare assessment tool across four families of reptiles: Agamidae, Chelidae, Pythonidae, and Testudinidae. Two rounds of online surveys were conducted eliciting responses from a global group of professionals who work with reptiles. In the first survey, respondents were provided with an author-derived list of potential animal-based indicators for consideration of their validity and practicality as welfare indicators. The indicators were refined for the second survey including only those indicators that were considered valid or practical on the first survey (≥4 on a 5-point Likert scale), and that achieved ≥70% consensus amongst experts. In the second survey, respondents were asked to re-evaluate the reliability and practicality of the indicators and to rank them on these facets. Eight to ten assessment indicators for each family of reptiles were identified from Survey 2. These indicators were often health related, for example, presence of oculo-nasal discharge or wounds. However, some true behavioral indicators were identified, such as showing species-specific interest and alertness. These indicators should now be incorporated into taxon-tailored welfare assessment tools for trial and validation in captive reptile populations. This study provides a next step towards developing reptile-specific animal welfare assessment tools for these often-overlooked animals.

Investigating Equestrians’ Perceptions of Horse Happiness: An Exploratory Study

Happiness is a subjective feeling and associated with positive affective states that can indicate good welfare. It is becoming increasingly agreed that equestrians’ ability to recognize indicators of positive emotions has the potential to enhance overall horse wellbeing, but research in this area is limited. Therefore, this study investigated equestrians’ perceptions of horse happiness. A survey comprising 25 questions was distributed through equestrian-related social media (internationally) and yielded 332 valid responses. Frequency analysis was conducted within each factor category (e.g., rider type). Pearson chi-squared and Fisher's exact test determined if differences occurred between the tested factor categories (significance level: P < .05). The majority of respondents believed that they were able to recognize when their horses were happy (94%, n = 332; P < .0001) whilst 92.8% (n = 332; P < .0001) believed that their horses could be described as happy. The majority of participants who indicated that they were able to recognize when their horses were happy also believed that their horses were: happy when they interacted with them (98.3%, n = 295; P < .001); when they rode them (83%, n = 270; P < .0001); when they worked them (i.e., unmounted work) (82.7%, n = 312; P < .0001). The largest respondent proportion believed that horses who were very “forward”/energetic every time they were being ridden could be best described as “rather happy” (36.4%, n = 332). Owners more frequently believed that horses were “rather happy” if they did not react to loud noises/scary objects (30.9%, n = 285; P < .013). These results suggest that some equestrians may have overconfidence in interpreting equine affective states. Furthermore, some respondents may have incorrectly perceived behaviors potentially indicating negative emotions as indicators of happiness.

When company decisions harm or help the environment: the influence of social context and affective state on moral and causal responsibility attributions

Holding companies accountable for their decisions’ environmental side effects becomes increasingly important in the light of current debates on the climate crisis. The present study investigated a young sample’s (n = 925) causal and moral responsibility attributions to a company’s manager and their subordinate employee, who were either young or middle-aged. The agents jointly made a profit-oriented decision which either harmed or helped the environment. Results were analyzed with respect to the valence of the side effect, the agents’ social role, the agents’ age group, and participants’ affective state. We successfully replicated findings from prior studies, showing that more intention and moral responsibility is ascribed to the manager in case of a negative side effect than in case of a positive side effect, and that the manager deserves more blame for negative side effects than the employee, whereas the employee deserves more praise for positive side effects. Additionally, responsibility attributions varied with the agents’ age group, participants’ positive and negative affective state, and participants’ gender. By incorporating these hitherto neglected factors, the study complements existing theories of responsibility attribution and intergroup perception. The findings further highlight the contribution of affective mechanisms as driving factors of responsibility attributions. Combining moral responsibility research, intergroup research, and affective measures promises to foster the understanding of how and to whom people ascribe blame, praise, and causal responsibility for environmental consequences.

Compulsive buying behavior of Smartphones by university students.

Few studies have analyzed compulsive buying behavior in relation to a specific product. Smartphones are hugely popular products today, especially among young people. These two aspects have motivated this research into the compulsive buying behavior of Smartphones by university students. To study this behavior, the main features that differentiate compulsive buyers from those that are not are analyzed, and their risk profiles are obtained through a discrete choice model. Sociodemographic features that define buyers with the greatest propensity to compulsiveness are younger age, longer time spent daily using social networks, higher spending on the acquisition of Smartphones and having owned a greater number of these devices. These buyers also show shopping addiction and greater feelings of guilt after the purchase as well as more positive and negative affective states when purchasing Smartphones. This analysis not only determines the characteristics that define young individuals with a tendency toward compulsiveness in Smartphone purchases, but also contributes to quantifying the probability of having this tendency.

A break from the pups: The effects of loft access on the welfare of lactating laboratory rats.

Rats (Rattus norvegicus) bred for research are typically confined with their litters until weaning, but will spend time away from pups when given the opportunity. We aimed to assess how dam welfare is affected by the ability to escape from their pups. Rat dams (n = 16) were housed in cages either with or without an elevated loft. We measured time dams spent in lofts, time spent nursing, and affective states using elevated plus maze and anticipatory behavior testing. We predicted that 1) dams housed with lofts would use them increasingly as pups aged, 2) dams without a loft would spend more time passively nursing (i.e. initiated by pups rather than the dam) and more total time nursing as pups aged, and 3) dams housed with lofts would show evidence of a more positive affective state. Dams housed with lofts spent more time in the loft with increasing pup age; dams spent on average (mean ± SE) 27 ± 5% of their time in the loft when pups were 1 wk old, increasing to 52 ± 5% of their time at 3 wks. When pups were 3 wks old, dams with lofts spent less time passively nursing (10 ± 2% of total time, compared to 27 ± 4% for dams without a loft) and less time nursing overall (36 ± 4% of time versus 59 ± 2% for dams without a loft). Rats without loft access showed increased anticipatory behavior potentially indicative of negative affective state (24.5±1.8 behaviors per minute in wk 3 compared to 18.8±1.0 in wk 1). These findings indicate that rat dams in laboratories choose to spend time away from their pups when provided the opportunity, particularly later in lactation; an inability to do so is associated with increased passive nursing and negative affect.

Association Between Maternal Mood State and Glycemic Response to a Mixed-Meal Among Latina Pregnant Women With Overweight and Obesity

ObjectivesTo investigate if maternal positive and negative affect state is associated with the glucose and insulin response to a standardized breakfast shake among Latina pregnant women with overweight and obesity. MethodsN = 31 non-diabetic Latina pregnant women, at gestational age 28–30 weeks, with a pre-pregnancy BMI 25–35 Kg/m2 consumed a standardized breakfast shake in the morning after an overnight fast of at least 10 hours. The Positive and Negative Affect Scale was completed while consuming the drink. Blood samples collected at fasting and 6 postprandial time points (15, 30, 45, 60, 90,120 mins) were assayed for glucose and insulin and values were log-transformed for normality. The area-under-the-curve (AUC) for glucose, insulin, glucose: insulin ratio were computed as well as the Matsuda index of insulin sensitivity (SI). ResultsThe median (IQR) values for positive and negative affect scores were 33 (27–40) and 11 (10–14) respectively. Categorizing the affect scores as high or low based on the median value, the mean AUC for glucose, insulin, and SI did not differ according to affect state (p > 0.05). However, women with a lower positive affect score had lower insulin AUC (F-1.2, p = 0.063), and consequently, a greater AUCglucose: insulin (F = 3.9, p = 0.007), which persisted after adjustment for maternal age, gestational age and BMI. A post-hoc analysis revealed significantly higher glucose: insulin ratio values at fasting (F = 0.58, p = 0.013) and 15min (F = 10.37, p = 0/008) and 60min (F = 2.65, p = 0.021) postprandial timepoints in those with low vs high positive affect. No differences in the glucose/insulin ratio were detected across levels of negative affect. ConclusionsContrary to expectations, higher positive affect in late pregnancy (i.e., more positive mood state) was associated with a less favorable postprandial insulin response in this cohort, contributing to a higher ratio of glucose: insulin, which is a sensitive predictor of insulin resistance. There is potential for unmeasured confounding which may have contributed to this unexpected direction of association between maternal affect state and insulin response in pregnant Latina women, which deserves further attention in future research. Funding SourcesNational Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

Measuring mania-like elevated mood through amphetamine-induced 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations in rats.

Rats emit 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) in appetitive situations, reflecting a positive affective state. Particularly high rates of 50-kHz USV are elicited by the psychostimulant d-amphetamine. Exaggerated 50-kHz USV emission evoked by d-amphetamine is modulated by dopamine, noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytyrptamine receptor ligands and inhibited by the mood stabilizer lithium, the gold standard anti-manic drug for treating bipolar disorder. This indicates that exaggerated 50-kHz USV emission can serve as a reliable and valid measure for assessing mania-like elevated mood in rats with sufficient translational power for gaining a better understanding of relevant pathophysiological mechanisms and the identification of new therapeutic targets. The improved capacity to study the effects of anti-manic pharmacological interventions on a broader range of behaviours by including exaggerated 50-kHz USV emission as preclinical outcome measure complementary to locomotor hyperactivity will refine rodent models for mania. LINKED ARTICLES: This article is part of a themed issue on New discoveries and perspectives in mental and pain disorders. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v179.17/issuetoc.

Implicit Associations With Nature and Urban Environments: Effects of Lower-Level Processed Image Properties.

Nature experiences usually lead to restorative effects, such as positive affective states and reduced stress. Even watching nature compared to urban images, which are known to differ in several image properties that are processed at early stages, can lead to such effects. One potential pathway explaining how the visual input alone evokes restoration is that image properties processed at early stages in the visual system evoke positive associations. To study these automatic bottom-up processes and the role of lower-level visual processing involved in the restoring effects of nature, we conducted two studies. First, we analyzed nature and urban stimuli for a comprehensive set of image properties. Second, we investigated implicit associations in a dichotomous set of nature and urban images in three domains, namely, valence, mood, and stress restoration. To examine the role of lower-level processing in these associations, we also used stimuli that lacked the spatial information but retained certain image properties of the original photographs (i.e., phase-scrambled images). While original nature images were associated with “good,” “positive mood,” and “restoration,” urban images were associated with “bad” and “stress.” The results also showed that image properties differ between our nature and urban images and that they contribute to the implicit associations with valence, although spatial information and therefore recognition of the environment remained necessary for positive associations. Moreover, lower-level processed image properties seem to play no or only minor roles for associations with mood and stress restoration.

Trait neuroticism does not relate to cardiovascular reactivity or habituation to repeated acute psychosocial stress

Neuroticism has been associated with adverse cardiovascular health. Adverse cardiovascular health outcomes have also been linked to cardiovascular reactivity and cardiovascular reactivity habituation to acute psychosocial stress. As such, cardiovascular stress reactivity and habituation may be a factor in the association between neuroticism and disease risk. However, studies of the relationship between neuroticism and cardiovascular reactivity have produced mixed results. Moreover, the relationships between neuroticism, cardiovascular reactivity habituation, and general affect across a repeated stress paradigm have not been examined. The present study aimed to assess the relationships between neuroticism, positive and negative affect, and cardiovascular reactivity and habituation to acute psychosocial stress in a large, demographically diverse sample. Participants (N = 426) completed two 4-min mental arithmetic stressors, each with a separate baseline, in a single laboratory session while having discrete blood pressure and heart rate measurements taken. State positive and negative affect were measured immediately following informed consent, after receiving task instructions, and after each stress task. Trait neuroticism was measured using the Big Five Inventory. Each stress task elicited significant cardiovascular changes. Trait neuroticism was not significantly associated with cardiovascular reactivity or cardiovascular reactivity habituation, within or across stress tasks (all p's > 0.12). Across the entire study protocol, neuroticism was significantly related to lower positive affect and higher negative affect (both p's < 0.001). Trait neuroticism did not relate to stress-related cardiovascular adjustments but might confer a predisposition toward high negative affect.

Is Team Emotional Composition Essential for Virtual Team Members' Well-Being? The Role of a Team Emotional Management Intervention.

The aim of this study was twofold. First, we examined the relationship between virtual teams’ emotional intelligence composition and three indicators of their members’ well-being, members’ satisfaction with the team, and positive and negative affective states. Second, we analyzed the moderator role of an online team emotional management intervention in the effects of the team emotional intelligence composition. One hundred and two virtual teams participated in an experimental study with repeated measures. Teams were randomly assigned to either an intervention designed to help them detect and manage emotions during virtual teamwork or a control condition (with no intervention). We followed a hierarchical data strategy and examined a number of nested models using Hierarchical Linear Modeling. Our findings showed that virtual teams’ emotional intelligence composition is a key driver of the team members’ well-being, and that a team emotional management intervention moderated the impact of the team composition of emotional intelligence, buffering its influence.

Are acute sitting-induced changes in inflammation and cerebrovascular function related to impaired mood and cognition?

PurposeSedentary behaviour is negatively associated with mood and cognition, yet how acute sitting contributes to these overall associations is unknown. Since sitting heightens inflammation and impairs cerebrovascular function, this study investigated the hypothesis that these sitting-induced changes are related to impaired mood and cognition.MethodsTwenty-five healthy desk workers (18 male, 28.3 ± 7.5 years, BMI: 24.2 ± 3.3 kg∙m−2) were recruited. During laboratory visit one, participants were familiarised with cognitive performance tests measuring executive function, attention and working memory. During laboratory visit two, participants completed 6 h of continuous, uninterrupted sitting. At baseline and after 6 h, serum markers of inflammation, middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity (MCAv), cerebrovascular carbon dioxide reactivity (CVR), dynamic cerebral autoregulation (CA), cognitive performance and mood (positive and negative affect, alert, contented and calm) were assessed. Data were analysed using paired-samples t tests and correlation analyses.ResultsFollowing sitting, C-reactive protein (∆-1.0 µg/ml) and tissue plasminogen activator (∆-360.4 pg/ml) decreased (p < 0.05), MCAv reduced (∆-2.9 cm∙s−1, p = 0.012) and normalised gain increased in the very low frequency range, indicating impaired CA (∆ + 0.22%·mmHg−1, p = 0.016). Positive affect (∆-4.6, p < 0.001), and alert (∆-10.6 p = 0.002) and contented (∆-7.4, p = 0.006) mood states also decreased following sitting. No significant changes in interleukin-6, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, von Willebrand factor, CVR or cognitive performance were observed (p > 0.05). The observed changes in inflammation and cerebrovascular function were not related to changes in mood (p > 0.05).ConclusionAlterations in inflammation or cerebrovascular function following six hours of prolonged, uninterrupted sitting are not related to the observed reductions in mood, indicating other mechanisms underlie the relationship between acute sitting and mood disturbances.

Enhancing effects of value co-creation in social commerce: insights from network externalities, institution-based trust and resource-based perspectives

ABSTRACT Parties in a positive affective state generally boost creativity in social commerce. Superior institution-based trust may enhance multi-sided partners’ positive affective reactions that lead to facilitate actively engagement for achieving the benefits of value co-creation. This study develops a conceptual model in which third-party assurance mechanisms and third-party logistics act as moderating constructs for examining the relation between agility and the network effect, both of which affect value co-creation. The results show that institution-based trust operates through the interaction between agility and multi-sided mechanisms in ensuring the value co-creation as it reinforces the network effects in the process. The findings of the study provide practical insights into how online merchants can reinforce the interaction between agility and multi-sided mechanisms so as to provide positive affective state and in turn enhance network effects and value co-creation that improves the social commerce platform as a whole.

The moderator role of neuroticism in the relationship between sexual thoughts and affective response during sexual activity, and sexual functioning: A study with heterosexual and lesbian women

Personality traits, automatic thoughts and affective states play a major role on female sexual functioning. Nevertheless, little is known regarding the moderator role of personality traits on the relationship between automatic thoughts and affective states, and sexual functioning, in lesbian and heterosexual women. The current study aimed to test the moderator role of personality traits (e.g. neuroticism) on the relationship between automatic thoughts and affective states during sexual activity, and sexual functioning in a sample of lesbian and heterosexual women. Nine-hundred and forty-one women (697 heterosexual women; 244 lesbian women) completed an online survey about cognitive factors and sexual functioning. Participants completed the NEO-Five Factor Inventory, the Automatic Thoughts Scale from the Sexual Modes Questionnaire, the Positive Affect – Negative Affect Scale, and the Female Sexual Functioning Index. Main findings suggested neuroticism, sexual abuse thoughts, failure and disengagement thoughts, lack of erotic thoughts, and positive and negative affective states as significant predictors of female sexual functioning, regardless of sexual orientation. Moreover, women with higher levels of sexual abuse thoughts and higher absence of erotic thoughts, or lower levels of positive affective states, when presented higher levels of neuroticism, also reported a decrease in their sexual functioning, regardless of sexual orientation. Overall, neuroticism acts as moderator on the relationship between sexual abuse thoughts, lack of erotic thoughts and positive affective states, and sexual functioning, regardless of sexual orientation. Implications for improve sex therapy outcomes are discussed.

Extracellular Dopamine Levels in Nucleus Accumbens after Chronic Stress in Rats with Persistently High vs. Low 50-kHz Ultrasonic Vocalization Response.

Fifty-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in response to an imitation of rough-and-tumble play (‘tickling’) have been associated with positive affective states and rewarding experience in the rat. This USV response can be used as a measure of inter-individual differences in positive affect. We have previously shown that rats with persistently low positive affectivity are more vulnerable to the effects of chronic variable stress (CVS). To examine whether these differential responses are associated with dopaminergic neurotransmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), juvenile male Wistar rats were categorized as of high or low positive affectivity (HC and LC, respectively), and after reaching adulthood, extracellular dopamine (DA) levels in the NAc shell were measured using in vivo microdialysis after three weeks of CVS. Baseline levels of DA were compared as well as the response to K+-induced depolarization and the effect of glial glutamate transporter EAAT2 inhibition by 4 mM l-trans-pyrrolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate (PDC). DA baseline levels were higher in control LC-rats, and stress significantly lowered the DA content in LC-rats. An interaction of stress and affectivity appeared in response to depolarization where stress increased the DA output in HC-rats whereas it decreased it in LC-rats. These results show that NAc-shell DA is differentially regulated in response to stress in animals with high and low positive affect.

Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire (IRQ): Psychometric properties and gender differences in Chinese young adolescents.

[Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 33(4) of Psychological Assessment (see record 2021-42259-001). In the article "Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire (IRQ): Psychometric Properties and Gender Differences in Chinese Young Adolescents," by Ruyi Ding, Wei He, Jin Liu, Tuo Liu, Dan Zhang, and Shiguang Ni (Psychological Assessment, 2021, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. e13-e28, https://doi.org/10.1037/ pas0000997), the following funding information was missing from the author note: "This study was funded by the Shenzhen Humanities & Social Sciences Key Research Bases, Tsinghua SIGS Overseas Research Cooperation Foundation (Grant No. HW2020004), National Philosophy and Social Sciences Foundation of China (Grant No. 20AZD085) and the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 2020A1515010949)." All versions of this article have been corrected.] The Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire (IRQ) is a scale developed to measure the tendency and efficacy of intrinsic interpersonal emotion regulation across positive and negative affective states. As the psychometric properties of the IRQ across cultures and different ages have not been well established, the current study was conducted to examine the applicability of the translated IRQ in a sample of Chinese young adolescents (initial n = 487; 50.20% are males; M = 14.52 years old, SD = .75). The original four-factor structure of the IRQ (i.e., negative-tendency, negative-efficacy, positive-tendency, and positive-efficacy) and other parsimonious models were examined and compared using confirmatory factor analysis. The results demonstrated that only the correlated-four-factor model had acceptable model fit indices. The internal consistencies of the four sub-scales were all above .70. Strict measurement invariance (i.e., configural, metric, and scalar) was achieved between males and females. In addition, latent mean comparison showed that females reported higher negative-efficacy and positive-tendency than males, while no gender variations were found for the remaining two factors. The validity of the IRQ was further supported by its convergent-discriminant associations with emotional well-being and distress, emotional expressivity, social competence, empathic responding, cognitive reappraisal, and delinquent behavior. Taken together, the IRQ is a reliable and valid measure for Chinese young adolescents' intrinsic interpersonal emotion regulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Correction to Ding et al. (2021).

Reports an error in "Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire (IRQ): Psychometric properties and gender differences in Chinese young adolescents" by Ruyi Ding, Wei He, Jin Liu, Tuo Liu, Dan Zhang and Shiguang Ni (Psychological Assessment, Advanced Online Publication, Mar 18, 2021, np). In the article "Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire (IRQ): Psychometric Properties and Gender Differences in Chinese Young Adolescents," by Ruyi Ding, Wei He, Jin Liu, Tuo Liu, Dan Zhang, and Shiguang Ni (Psychological Assessment, 2021, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. e13-e28, https://doi.org/10.1037/ pas0000997), the following funding information was missing from the author note: "This study was funded by the Shenzhen Humanities & Social Sciences Key Research Bases, Tsinghua SIGS Overseas Research Cooperation Foundation (Grant No. HW2020004), National Philosophy and Social Sciences Foundation of China (Grant No. 20AZD085) and the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 2020A1515010949)." All versions of this article have been corrected. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2021-27042-001.) The Interpersonal Regulation Questionnaire (IRQ) is a scale developed to measure the tendency and efficacy of intrinsic interpersonal emotion regulation across positive and negative affective states. As the psychometric properties of the IRQ across cultures and different ages have not been well established, the current study was conducted to examine the applicability of the translated IRQ in a sample of Chinese young adolescents (initial n = 487; 50.20% are males; M = 14.52 years old, SD = .75). The original four-factor structure of the IRQ (i.e., negative-tendency, negative-efficacy, positive-tendency, and positive-efficacy) and other parsimonious models were examined and compared using confirmatory factor analysis. The results demonstrated that only the correlated-four-factor model had acceptable model fit indices. The internal consistencies of the four sub-scales were all above .70. Strict measurement invariance (i.e., configural, metric, and scalar) was achieved between males and females. In addition, latent mean comparison showed that females reported higher negative-efficacy and positive-tendency than males, while no gender variations were found for the remaining two factors. The validity of the IRQ was further supported by its convergent-discriminant associations with emotional well-being and distress, emotional expressivity, social competence, empathic responding, cognitive reappraisal, and delinquent behavior. Taken together, the IRQ is a reliable and valid measure for Chinese young adolescents' intrinsic interpersonal emotion regulation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The Relationship Between Weight Efficacy Life Style Dimensions and Perceived Parental Styles Dimensions with Psychological Well-being in Students

Background: Psychological well-being is a multidimensional concept that is typically defined as a mixture of positive affective states, such as satisfaction and functioning with optimum life efficiency. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between weight efficacy lifestyle dimensions and perceived parental styles dimensions with psychological well-being among university students. Methods: The statistical population of this correlational study was all undergraduate and master students of Azarbaijan Shahid Madani University in the academic year 2016-2017, of whom 180 students were selected through multi-stage random cluster sampling. They were assessed by Clark’s Weight Efficacy Life Style (WEL), Grolnick’s Perceptions of Parents Scales (POPS), and Keyes &amp; Magyar-Moe’s Psychological Well-being questionnaires. In addition, the demographic questionnaire was completed. Data were analyzed by SPSS V. 24 using descriptive statistics and simultaneous regression. Results: According to the findings of the study, there was a positive and significant relationship between weight efficacy lifestyle and its two subscales of negative emotions and physical discomfort with psychological well-being, and there was a negative and significant relationship between perceived parenting style and all its subscales with psychological well-being. However, 36% of changes in psychological well-being were predicted by physical discomfort, mother’s autonomy support, and mother’s warmth. Conclusion: Overall, the findings of this study support the role of weight efficacy lifestyle and perceived parenting styles variables in student psychological well-being.