Positive Cognitions Research Articles

The effects of positive and negative experiences on subsequent behavior and cognitive performance in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] apella).

Our understanding of animals' affective processing is notably limited compared to the wealth of research on humans, largely due to difficulties in measurement. Moreover, despite a recent increase in the understanding of the interaction between affect and cognition in animals, most research has focused on negative affect, with the result that we continue to know little about the effects of positive affect. In this study, we tested 15 adult capuchin monkeys (Sapajus [Cebus] apella) using a novel methodology that took advantage of capuchins' species-typical behavior to engineer both a positive and negative experience, using the same apparatus to minimize extraneous impacts. Following a positive or negative experience (that presumably induced positive and negative affect, respectively), or a control with no manipulation, we assessed subjects' performance on a cognitive task, a computerized delayed match-to-sample. As predicted, behavior following the negative condition suggested a negative affective state, with increased rates of scratching (commonly used as an indicator of stress in nonhuman primates) compared to both the positive and control conditions. Cognitive performance was also impaired in the negative condition compared to the other two. Contrary to predictions, however, the positive condition did not have a facilitative effect on cognitive performance, but behavioral results indicate that we may not have induced a truly positive affective state. Although we add to evidence that a negative experience can influence subsequent behavior and cognitive performance in nonhuman primates, our work highlights our lack of knowledge about the impact of positive affect, if any, on behavior and cognition. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

A Disruption in Personal Development: Using Appreciative Inquiry During the Pandemic to Identify Aspirations and Inspire Action

During the pandemic, individuals became isolated and often unemployed, compounding the need for affordable, self-service content that facilitates personal growth and well-being. A journey of personal change which reinforces Appreciative Inquiry’s wholeness principle is being developed in a program that guides users in identifying aspirations and inspiring action towards them. Learners use mobile device technology to practice positive cognition and flourish.

POSITIVE COGNITIVE TRIAD AND COVID-19 FEARS: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease has produced both physical and mental health crisis at an unprecedented level forcing the global community to take actions to deal with the pandemic. Various mental health issues have cropped up in people since the spread of the highly contagious disease. The present empirical study examined the role of the positive cognitive triad in coping with mental health problems, especially the fears of the pandemic. Using а cross-sectional research design, data were collected from the 240 participants in a northern state in India at the time when the positive cases were increasing. Regression analysis showed significant variation explained by positive cognitive triad on the outcome variable, i.e. positive cognitive triad reduces the perception of fears of the COVID-19 disease. The study revealed that the positive cognitive triad might be used as one of the coping strategies with the fears and anxiety of the disease. Regression analysis further revealed that two dimensions of the positive cognitive triad i.e. positive cognition of the self and positive cognition of the future, had a significantly negative influence on the fears of the disease. Thus, people who have positive cognition of the self and the future are less likely to experience fear of the novel COVID-19 diseases.

The application of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing treatment (EMDR) on adults with foreign language anxiety

Abstract The present study aimed to apply Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) treatment to foreign language (FL) anxiety, a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that has been found to exert profound effects on many aspects of FL learning and performance. EMDR originally emerged as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a great number of studies demonstrated empirically its potential for treating and coping with various psychological disorders. The present study used the Single-Case Design (SCD). EMDR was given to two volunteer adult EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners experiencing severe FL anxiety. The effect of the treatment on FL anxiety was tracked and measured by using two separate scales of FL anxiety and obtaining self-reports of distress from the subjects. The long-term effects of EMDR were checked through two separate follow-up assessments. The results clearly demonstrated that EMDR was effective in reducing FL anxiety and increasing subjects’ positive cognition.

Belief in Protecting Others and Social Perceptions of Face Mask Wearing Were Associated With Frequent Mask Use in the Early Stages of the COVID Pandemic in the UK.

Face masks are now seen as a key tool in the world’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. However, during the early stages of the outbreak, face mask use in the United Kingdom (UK) was significantly lower than that of countries equally impacted by the virus. We were interested to explore whether social cognitions played a role in levels of mask wearing. A cross-sectional online survey of UK adults (n=908) was conducted in July 2020. Estimated face mask use and thoughts about wearing face masks were assessed using measures developed for this study. Participants also answered questions about their general mood, social anxiety and basic demographic data. Multiple regression was used to examine factors associated with mask wearing. Participants’ estimated mask wearing was low when in public spaces, such as the park (17%) or walking on the high street (36%). However, broadly fitting with UK guidance at the time, rates were considerably higher when in situations of closer proximity to others, such as on public transport (94%), in a shop or café (62%), when speaking to somebody in an enclosed public space (67%) or in a busy area when social distancing was not possible (79%). When looking at estimated mask wearing when in proximity to others, positive social cognitions (e.g., I’ll look confident and competent wearing a mask) were associated with more wearing, whereas negative social cognitions (e.g., I’ll look anxious, I’ll look foolish) were associated with less wearing. These results remained after controlling for factors that have indicated increased risk from COVID-19 (age, gender, ethnicity, presence of a health condition or pregnancy), belief about the health benefit for others and levels of depression and social anxiety. The largest predictors of mask wearing were the amount of people believed wearing a mask would keep others safe and the presence of an underlying health condition. The study findings indicate that future public health campaigns would benefit from a focus on strengthening beliefs about the protective benefits of masks, but also promoting positive social messages about wearing in public (e.g., mask wearing means you are confident and competent).

Bio-psychosocial factor of vaginismus in Iranian women

Background and aimVarious physical, psychological, social and cultural factors contribute to vaginismus. Therefore, given the multidimensionality of this disorder and the need to pay more attention to all biological, psychological and social dimensions in its treatment, the present study was conducted to investigate the bio-psychological factors contributing to vaginismus.MethodsThis descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 180 Iranian women with vaginismus who had been referred to sexual health clinics of Tehran province in 2020. Multistage random sampling method was used in this study, and vaginismus was diagnosed in women by a specialist through using a questionnaire. Data collection tools included demographic and obstetric information form, valid and reliable Sexual Function Questionnaire, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS), Sex Fear Questionnaire, Vaginal Penetration Cognition Questionnaire, Sexual Self-Efficacy Scale, Sexual Knowledge and Attitude Scale, Sexual Quality of Life-Female, Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction, ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale, Sexual Intimacy Scale and Questionnaire for Diagnosis of Vaginismus. In order to determine the factors related to vaginismus, multiple linear regression model was used through SPSS software version 25 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL).ResultsBased on the results of the present study, the mean age of women and the mean duration of their marriage were 27.77 ± 5.36 and 4.07 ± 3.87 years respectively. As the results of multiple linear regression revealed, the variables of fear of sex (B = 0.141, P = 0.036), positive cognition (B = 0.197, P = 0.046), self-image (B = 0.651, P = 0.001), sexual intimacy (B = -0.116, P = 0.021), quality of sexual life (B = 0.115, P = 0.002) and education (B = 2.129, P = 0.024) from the bio-psychosocial model were the final predictors of vaginismus diagnosis score in women with this disorder. According to the results of multiple linear regression, 45.5% of the variance of vaginismus diagnosis total score was explained by these variables (R = 0.706, R2 = 0.498 and ADJ.R2 = 0.455).ConclusionThe results of the present study showed that the variables of fear of sex, positive cognition and negative self-image, sexual intimacy, quality of sexual life and education were the final predictors of vaginismus diagnosis score. This disorder is, thus, considered to be multidimensional.

295 Positive Cognition Screening a Geriatric Emergency Department

Geriatric emergency departments (EDs) have become more common in recent years. Along with these expansions have come targeted interventions and assessments for older adult patients in the ED to assess several social and clinical factors specific to a patient. Cognitive tests are frequently used to assess older patients’ ability to make decisions to gauge resources that they may need. The objective of this study was to understand who may be more likely to have positive cognitive test in the ED. This was a retrospective multicenter study among older adult patients (>=65 years) presenting to two EDs (urban level one trauma center and suburban academic hospital with combined annual census of ∼80,000). Patients were qualified for specialized geriatric screenings if they were identified as being at risk by the Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) screen and has an Emergency Severity Score (ESI) of 3. Screening tools used to identify potential cognitive issues included the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and the Abbreviated Mental Test 4 (AMT4). Demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed for all patients who received a screen. Logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with a positive test. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) are reported. There were a total of 1850 cognitive tests ordered. Of those tests ordered, 903 (48%) were able to be completed and scored. Of those 903 tests scored, 226 (25%) were positive. Between those who tested positive and negative, individuals were more likely to have a positive test if they were age 85+ compared to 65-74, (AOR=2.01, 95% CI=1.36, 2.97; p=<0.001) and less likely if they were patients who were non-Hispanic Whites compared to other Races and Ethnicities (AOR=0.59, 95% CI=0.42, 0.83; p=0.002). Sec, mode of arrival and disposition were not associated with a positive cognitive score. Screening tools are important instruments to help identify patients with potentially cognitive issues. Although their use in the ED have been limited in the past, they are becoming utilized more often with the increasing senior population and the development of geriatric ED in the United States. Findings from these assessments help to inform providers of the needs of older adult patients and their caregivers.

Impact of Service Encounter Elements on Experiential Value and Customer Loyalty: An Empirical Investigation in the Coffee Shop Context

The unprecedented dynamism in marketing has led to the transition of economy from service economy to experience economy. Modern age consumers give more emphasis to the hedonic attributes of offerings than to functional attributes. Consequently, the present study aims to provide a deeper understanding of experiential value, its antecedents, and consequences in the context of coffee shops. More specifically, this study examines the effect of service encounter elements on experiential value and the consequent effect of experiential value on customer loyalty. Using purposive sampling, data were collected from 387 customers of coffee shops using a questionnaire survey which was later analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The results reveal positive linkages between service encounter, experiential value, and customer loyalty. Positive cognition of service encounters have positive effects on experiential value and customer loyalty. Besides, experiential value also has a positive effect on customer loyalty. Lastly, experiential value partially mediates the relationship between service encounters and customer loyalty.

Effects of two different early socialization models on social behavior and physiology of suckling piglets

Early socialization not only facilitates positive behaviors and cognition abilities of post-weaning piglets, but also has effects on social behavior and physiology of suckling piglets during the lactation. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of early socialization environment on social behavior, stress coping and weaning weight of suckling piglets. We selected 199 piglets (Large White×Duroc×Min pig) from 18 litters and three treatments were differentiated: intermittent contact group (IC, 6 litters), piglets of two neighboring litters were socialized twice a week for 3 h from D14 (14 days of age) to D35; continuous contact group (CC, 6 litters), piglets of two neighboring litters were socialized continuously from D14 to D35; the control group (CON, 6 litters), piglets were not socialized during the lactation. Behavioral observation occurred on D14, D15, D21, D22, D28, D29, D33 and D34, and blood samples were collected on D16, D28 and D34. The results revealed that the amount of fighting and head knocking in IC group was higher than CC and CON groups (P < 0.05). On the social interaction during the lactation, for performing piglet, piglets in CC group showed more oral-nasal contact than IC in 3 weeks of age (W3, D21 and D22) (P = 0.045), and socialized groups (CC, IC) showed more oral-nasal contact than CON in W4 (P = 0.001). The amount of mounting in CC was higher than IC and CON from W3 to W5 (P < 0.001). For receiving pig, amounts of avoiding behavior in IC and CC were higher than CON in W4 (P = 0.047). The return approach (positive response to the performing pig) of IC and CC were higher than C in W2, CC was higher than IC and CON in W3 (P = 0.003), socialized groups were higher than CON in W4 and W5 (P < 0.001). Serum epinephrine concentration in IC and CC were lower than CON on D16 (P < 0.001). The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentration of IC was higher than CC and CON (P < 0.05) on D16 and D28, IC and CC were higher than CON (P = 0.004) on D34. There was no significant difference in weaning weight and cross-sucking frequency among treatments. In conclusion, the early socialization environment provided opportunities for piglets to improve their social skills, increased the expression of social behaviors and had a positive impact on the expression of BDNF in piglets.

Do formal and informal institutions matter for firm-level strategic environmental actions?

We developed an overarching multi-level mediation model using 199 responses from 53 companies from the industrial sector in Jordan to examine (1) the mediation effect of firm-level environmental climate on the relationship between formal regulatory institutions and firm-level strategic environmental actions, and (2) the role that informal institutions conveyed via political, normative, and business connections plays on the environment-related cognitions of top managers. At the ‘within’ level, our results indicate that top managers with strong political connections develop negative environment-related cognitions while those with strong normative and business connections develop positive environment-related cognitions. At the firm-level, our results reveal that firm-level environmental climate – as an aggregated measure of the ‘within’ level environmental cognitions of top managers – fully mediates the relationship between formal regulatory institutions and firm-level strategic environmental actions. This study demonstrates how multilevel research is used to enrich understanding of firm-level strategic environmental actions, with implications beyond Jordan.

Influence of Ego Depletion on Individual Forgiveness in Different Interpersonal Offense Situations.

Forgiveness, as an important content in the field of morality, means that the offended person overcomes the negative emotion, cognition, and behavior toward the offender and replaces it with positive emotion, cognition, and behavior. Based on the theory of the limitation of psychological resources, ego depletion (ED) will lead to the weakening of self-regulation function, thus making some immoral behaviors, which is not conducive to individual forgiveness. In order to explore the influence of ED on individual forgiveness in different interpersonal offense situations, this study used the Stroop task to manipulate the level of ED and used imaginary situations to distinguish offending situations. We found that the level of forgiveness in a serious offense situation was significantly lower than that in a mild offense situation, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.158. In different interpersonal offense situations, ED has different effects on forgiveness. In the severe offense situation, the forgiveness level of high-ED individuals was significantly lower than that of the low-ED individuals, p = 0.023, partial η2 = 0.144; in the mild offense situation, the forgiveness level of high-ED individuals was significantly higher than that of low-ED individuals, p = 0.029, partial η2 = 0.140. The results showed that different levels of ED have no consistent effect on forgiveness in different interpersonal offense situations; high ED hinders individual forgiveness in serious offense situations but can promote individual forgiveness in mild offense situations.

The Mediating Effect of Positive Illness Cognitions on Experiential Avoidance and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Patients

Objective:Illness cognition plays an essential role during physical, psychological, and social adjustment among patients with cancer. The present study aims to explore the mediating effects of positive illness cognition on experiential avoidance and quality of life (QOL) in this population.Methods:Between August 2017 and June 2019, we recruited 312 patients with breast cancer in the treatment period from a general tertiary hospital's breast department using convenience sampling. We used the Illness Cognition Questionnaire, the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire II, and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast Scale.Results:The mean score of QOL was 93.39 (SD: 18.60) for patients with breast cancer. Positive illness cognition was closely related to the QOL and experiential avoidance. Experiential avoidance significantly negatively correlated with QOL (r = −0.59, P < 0.01) and positive illness cognition (r = −0.60, P < 0.01), while positive illness cognition significantly positively correlated with QOL (r = 0.82, P < 0.01). Positive illness cognition had a mediating effect between experiential avoidance and QOL (effect size: −0.56), accounting for 87.14% of the total effect.Conclusions:The QOL was low in Chinese patients with breast cancer. Positive illness cognition had a mediating effect between experiential avoidance and QOL. Caregivers should indirectly improve patients' QOL with breast cancer by improving their positive illness cognition levels.

소년원생의 정체성 변화(identity change)가 출원 후 범죄중단 과정에 미치는 영향

Recent researches have examined the role of identity, cognitive transformation, and redemption script in the desistance from crime as the process of decreasing offending over time. Developmental and Life-course theories suggest useful three categories by using longitudinal designs to point out factors that place individuals at risk for crime: theories of continuity, theories of continuity or change, and theories of continuity and change. This article explores the identity theories in continuity and change category that juvenile criminal desistance is caused by a change from deviant identity to pro-social identity. Using data of delinquents who was sentenced from juvenile courts in South Korea, I analyzed how pro-social identity change over time, whether this change affect negative or positive cognition and behavior after release from training schools, and what are predictors to change their identity. The analyses of latent growth model reveal that pro-social identity increase over time and significant predictors of this change are age, type of protective disposition, attachment to parents, support of training school staffs. Most of all, the results support identity theories of desistance that through identity changes, while seduction of criminal conduct is decreasing over time, social support to help them and job aspiration for future are increasing over time. These results have implications for desistance theories from crime as well as desistance programs in juvenile correctional practices.

Inverse Correlation Between Distress and Performance in the Medical Rescuers Against COVID-19 in Wuhan.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese government had transferred many medical rescuers to Wuhan, which provided effective support in disease control. The high-intensity working and mental stress during rescue could induce distress and negatively impact the performance of rescuer afterward.Materials and Methods: To identify the characteristics of stress load and its possible effects on performance, the study surveyed 90 medical rescuers in Wuhan using a mobile phone–based self-rated questionnaire.Results: The results showed an existence of universal but mostly mild distress in rescuers. About 95.6% of the participants reported that they had at least one symptom of distress, whereas, the median scores were <30 (100 as max). Compared with civilian rescuers, a higher proportion of working with immediate virus contact was found in military medical rescuers (P = 0.008); however, no statistical differences of stress load were found between civilians and militaries. The rescuers with positive cognition or good psychological preparation were found having lower stress loads than other rescuers. An inverse correlation between the stress load and performance (R = −0.24, P = 0.023) and a positive correlation between social support and working performance (R = 0.349, P = 0.001) were found in our survey, suggesting the possible negative effects of stress and the beneficial effects of social support on performance.Conclusion: Our study indicated that more attention should be paid to the distress of medical rescuers against COVID-19. Positive cognitions, good psychological preparations, and sufficient social support would be necessary to reduce the distress and improve the performance in COVID-19 rescue.

Physical Health and Quality of Life among Older People in the Context of Chinese Culture

Population aging has become a crucial problem in China. Recently, the Chinese government has adopted many strategies and policies to solve this problem and improve the quality of life of older individuals. The present study aimed to examine the effect of physical health on quality of life among older individuals in the context of Chinese culture and explore the potential mediating roles of positive cognition and negative emotions in the association between physical health and quality of life. Data were from the wave of 2017–2018 of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. Data on physical health, quality of life, positive cognition, and negative emotions of 15,874 older people were included in the present study. Pathway analysis was conducted by using IBM SPSS AMOS 21.0, and double verified using PROCESS Macro for SPSS 3.5.3. Results showed that physical health was positively associated with quality of life among older individuals in the context of Chinese culture. The effect size was small to moderate. Positive cognition and negative emotions independently and serially mediated the linkage of physical health and quality of life. These findings provided empirical evidence for the activating event-belief-consequence theory of emotion and hierarchy of needs theory and indicated that Chinese older people focused more on physical health rather than mental health. Practitioners could teach older individuals strategies of emotion regulation and cognitive appraisal to improve the quality of life of older individuals.

A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Efficacy of PositivePsychotherapy on Improving Executive Function and Plasma Cortisol Levels in Patients with Anxiety

Interoduction: Anxiety among students can lead to decreased performance and may be associated with other psychological and biological consequences. Therefore, it deserves clinical attention. On the other hand, reinforcing positive resources such as feelings, behaviors, and positive cognitions can be used as an important intervention in managing and improving mood disorders. This study evaluated the efficacy of positive psychotherapyon improving executive function and modulating serum cortisol levels in patients with anxiety.Method: In a randomized controlled clinical trial, 30 students with anxiety symptoms were selected using purposive sampling method and were assigned to experimental and control groups through block randomization method after confirming entry criteria. The intervention was presented to the experimental group in a positive approach for ten weekly sessions and the control group was placed on the waiting list. Changes in the executive functions index were considered as primary outcomes and serum cortisol levels fluctuations were considered as secondary outcomes. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance in SPSS 21 software. Result: Primary outcomesshowed that ten weeks of positive therapy had a significant effect on improvement of executive function (p<0.001). Secondary outcomes also showed that positive psychotherapy was effective in decreasing serum cortisol levels (p<0.001).Conclusion: Results showed that positive psychotherapy had a significant effect on the improvement of executive function and reducing serum cortisol levels. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of psychotherapy on the prefrontal cortex (PFC)and its interaction with the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis function.Declaration of Interest: None.Declaration of Interest: None

New Pharmacological Targets for the Treatment of Schizophrenia: A Literature Review.

The pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia is currently based on the employment of antipsychotic medications showing an antagonism of dopaminergic and serotoninergic inhibitors. 20-40% of patients are drug-resistant or residually symptomatic in the long-term antipsychotic treatment, and new strategies are needed for improving their functional and cognitive impairment. This systematic review has summarized evidences from the literature regarding the newer pharmacological targets proposed for the treatment of psychosis. We included 128 peer-reviewed articles and 5 other relevant sources published from 2002 to 2020 on PubMed EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. The possible role of glutamate and its receptors as targets of the antipsychotic mechanism of action has been described. Glutamatergic neurotransmission and NMDA receptors hypofunction are involved in the neurobiological explanatory model of psychosis and possibly targeted for the successful treatment of cognitive and residual symptoms. Results show an efficacy of D-cycloserine (antagonist at the Glycine site of the NMDA-R) in the treatment of negative symptoms of schizophrenia as well as Memantine (NMDA- Receptor antagonist) for cognition and psychopathology. The putative antipsychotic effect of cannabidiol on positive symptoms and cognition will also be discussed. The action on serotoninergic and GABAergic receptors will be considered as a new pharmacological target, with a possible efficacy of Vabicaserin on symptoms of psychosis. Mynocicline has shown to induce improvements in cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia, as well as Erythropoietin. Oxytocin has been reported to have an antipsychotic-like effect; moreover, COX-2 inhibitors lead to a reduction in positive symptoms of psychosis, specifically in the first episode of illness. This narrative report suggests a promising role of new agents in the treatment of Schizophrenia; however, more research is needed to approve their clinical employment.

Development and psychometric validation of the Dispositional Recovery and Dysfunction Inventory: a tool to assess for positive and negative cognitions following trauma exposure.

Recovery from trauma can be naturally occurring or facilitated through psychotherapy. Few brief measures exist to provide clinicians with dispositional, empirical assessments of patient's sentiments during psychotherapy. This manuscript presents the Dispositional Recovery and Dysfunction Inventory (DRDI), a measure created to assist clinicians in evaluating patient's treatment progress during psychotherapy, as well as evaluate its factor structure, reliability estimates, measurement invariance, and correlates. The DRDI was created based on feedback from experts with experience treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and was structurally validated in two distinct populations. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted in sample 1 consisting of (n=401) university students. Confirmatory factor analysis, measure validity and structure validation were then conducted in sample 2 (n=249) composed of 49% individuals with clinically significant PTSD symptoms. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the DRDI was best represented by a two-factor correlated traits model representing sentiments related to dispositional recovery and dysfunctional cognitions. The recovery subscale exhibited relationships with convergent measures including authenticity and psychological hardiness (r values of .30 to .60). The dysfunctional beliefs subscale exhibited relationships with convergent measures: PTSD, depression, suicidality and stress (r values of .55 to 80). Measurement invariance across gender and PTSD status was observed. Initial findings indicate that the DRDI has the potential to be a useful tool to assess individuals' beliefs about their propensity to recover from and thrive through adversity.

Managing Teachers' Job Attitudes: The Potential Benefits of Being a Happy and Emotional Intelligent Teacher.

According to the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, the frequency of positive emotions is associated with the development of positive attitudes, cognitions, and behaviors in organizational contexts. However, positive and negative attitudes at work might also be influenced by different personal and job resources. While emotional intelligence has been significantly associated with positive job attitudes and personal well-being, no studies have yet examined the joint role of teacher happiness and emotional intelligence in key teacher job attitudes. The present study assesses whether emotional intelligence interacts with levels of teacher happiness to jointly explain important teacher job attitudes (i.e., job satisfaction and turnover intention). A total sample of 685 teaching professionals (431 female) filled out a battery of scales including subjective happiness, emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Our results revealed that subjective happiness was significantly associated with both higher job satisfaction and lower turnover intention. Likewise, emotional intelligence was positively related to happiness and job satisfaction, and negatively related to turnover intention. Finally, interaction analysis showed the main effects of happiness and emotional intelligence in explaining teacher job attitudes. Beyond the main effects, the interaction effects of happiness and emotional intelligence were significant in predicting all teachers' job attitude indicators, even controlling for the effects of their sociodemographic variables. This work expands our knowledge about the role of teachers' positive emotions in the development of positive work attitudes, and also supports the inclusion of emotional skills in future teacher preparation programs as resources to facilitate work-related well-being.

Psychiatric risk and resilience: Plasticity genes and positive mental health.

ObjectiveThe at‐risk mental state (ARMS) for psychosis has long played a key role in diathesis‐stress models of schizophrenia. More recent studies, however, have called for extending the boundaries of the ARMS construct beyond attenuated psychosis in nonhelp‐seeking samples to include not only other vulnerability indicators but also protective factors related to genotype, mental health, personality, and cognition.MethodAccordingly, we assessed in a sample of 100 college students, the ARMS construct with the Brief Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ‐B) for psychosis, in conjunction with measures of positive mental health, childhood adversity, psychiatric symptoms, personality traits, social cognition, and genetic variables derived from assays of the serotonin transporter (5‐HTTLPR) and the brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).ResultsHigher PQ‐B scores correlated positively with vulnerability indicators of childhood adversity and heightened levels of a wide variety of psychiatric symptoms but correlated negatively with protective factors of better overall mental health, social cognition as well as with a distinct NEO profile marked by reduced neuroticism and elevated agreeableness and conscientiousness. Multivariate analyses indicated that a composite ARMS measure comprised of PQ‐B scores plus anxiety and depression symptoms revealed significant genotype differences, with lowest risk and highest resilience for allelic carriers of 5‐HTTLPR‐short and BDNF Met polymorphisms.ConclusionsResults provided support for extending the ARMS construct, pointing to important contributions of personality, social cognition, and genes that support neural plasticity in mitigating vulnerability and enhancing resilience and well‐being.