Subjective Expectations Research Articles

Communicating Data Uncertainty: Multiwave Experimental Evidence for UK GDP

AbstractEconomic statistics are commonly published without estimates of their uncertainty. We conduct two waves of a randomized controlled online experiment to assess if and how the UK public understands data uncertainty. A control group observes only the point estimate of GDP. Treatment groups are presented with alternative qualitative and quantitative communications of GDP data uncertainty. We find that most of the public understands that GDP numbers are uncertain. Quantitative communications of data uncertainty help align the public's subjective probabilistic expectations of data uncertainty with objective estimates, but do not decrease trust in the statistical office.

Survival Pessimism and the Demand for Annuities

AbstractThe “annuity puzzle” refers to the fact that annuities are rarely purchased despite the longevity insurance they provide. Most explanations for this puzzle assume that individuals have accurate expectations about their future survival. We provide evidence that individuals misperceive their mortality risk and study the demand for annuities in a setting where annuities are priced by insurers on the basis of objectively-measured survival probabilities but in which individuals make purchasing decisions based on their own subjective survival probabilities. Subjective expectations have the capacity to explain significant rates of nonannuitization, yielding a quantitatively important explanation for the annuity puzzle.

Do Religious Struggles Mediate the Association Between Neighborhood Disorder and Health in the United States?

Over the past two decades, numerous studies have linked the subjective experience of neighborhood disorder (perceptions of crime, dilapidation and ambient strains) with poorer health. We test whether religious struggles (religious doubts and feeling abandoned or punished by God) mediate this association. Our counterfactual mediation analyses of data from the 2021 Crime, Health, and Politics Survey (CHAPS) (n = 1741) revealed consistent indirect effects of neighborhood disorder through religious struggles for anger, psychological distress, sleep disturbance, poorer self-rated health, and shorter subjective life expectancy. This study contributes to previous work by integrating the study of neighborhood context and religion.

How do disasters affect intergroup perceptions? Evidence from the 2018 Sulawesi Earthquake

This study investigates whether and how natural disasters affect intergroup perceptions, particularly focusing on subjective expectations for emergency support from other groups in the future. We conduct a household survey in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, which has experienced religious conflicts and was heavily hit by the 2018 Sulawesi earthquake. Our estimation results from the survey data indicate that individuals who suffered from the earthquake exhibited higher expectations of receiving emergency support from other religious groups in future disasters. We further show that the direct and indirect experience of receiving actual support from other religious groups after the earthquake contributed to better intergroup perceptions. However, the effect of the earthquake on intergroup perceptions of future support is heterogeneous depending on the characteristics of households. Notably, people who experienced severe damage from the earthquake, such as loss of any close person or damage by liquefaction, or who used to live in a major conflict area tended to have poorer perceptions toward other religious groups than otherwise.

Differential effects of UPPS-P impulsivity on subjective alcohol response and craving: An experimental test of acquired preparedness.

Recent studies have extended the acquired preparedness model to experimental data, finding that impulsivity predicts subjective alcohol response, a related yet distinct construct from expectancies. However, studies have not tested whether specific facets of impulsivity predict subjective response, or whether impulsivity indirectly predicts alcohol craving through subjective response. Young adults who reported past-month binge drinking (N = 448) participated in a placebo-controlled alcohol administration study. Mediation models tested whether UPPS-P impulsivity facets indirectly predicted alcohol craving through subjective response on the ascending and descending limbs of the blood alcohol content (BAC). High arousal positive (e.g., sociable), low arousal positive (e.g., relaxed), high arousal negative (e.g., rude), and low arousal negative (e.g., dizzy) subjective effects were measured across limbs. Moderation by beverage condition was not detected, so models were collapsed across beverage condition. Sensation seeking indirectly predicted craving through high arousal positive subjective response on both limbs, whereas positive and negative urgency directly predicted craving. When controlling for baseline subjective response and craving, effects of sensation seeking and negative urgency on subjective response and craving became nonsignificant. The effects of positive urgency on craving remained, and an effect of positive urgency on high arousal positive effects emerged on the ascending limb. Findings suggest that relations among impulsivity, subjective response, and craving are contingent upon the specific facet of impulsivity. Interventions targeting predrink cue exposure and/or positive emotionality may be most effective for sensation seekers, whereas targeting subjective response and/or expectancies may be most efficacious for individuals high in positive urgency. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Black and white differences in subjective survival expectations: An evaluation of competing mechanisms

While black-white inequality in longevity is well documented in the United States, little is known about how individuals from different race/ethnic groups form their own personal survival expectations. Prior research has found that despite having higher mortality, blacks on average report higher survival expectations relative to whites. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we examined racial differences in subjective survival expectations across birth cohorts and provide explanatory mechanisms.We find that blacks—men in particular—were overly optimistic about their survival, but this effect had waned with successive birth cohorts. Furthermore, whereas subjective survival expectations and actual survival were correlated among white men, among black men the most optimistic fared worst. Blacks and whites differed not only in their response patterns, but also in how they weighed the different factors (socioeconomic, psychosocial, health, parental longevity) associated with expected survival. Importantly, those who estimated their survival probability with certainty had positive psychosocial characteristics, irrespective of race, but only whites had better health.These findings underscore the importance of group differences in subjective survival expectations as another potential form of inequality. Racial differences in how long individual expect to live may account for differences in social and economic behavior and outcomes, irrespective of actual longevity differentials.

The Motif of Sacrifice in Surrogacy

The regulation of surrogacy varies between different countries. There is a trend towards greater liberalization on the global level. Ethical evaluation creates a basic dilemma: Is surrogacy a superior form of solidarity between people or the instrumentalization of a woman’s body, being contrary to the fundamental dignity of every human person? How does surrogacy affect people involved in the process and what do decades of experience with surrogacy tell us about its effect on human beings? Is there an ideal form of surrogacy where reproductive parties themselves describe the relationship as satisfactory, fair, and just, and where the well-being of all involved parties is equally considered?In this article, we will look at the unsuccessful initiative to regulate at least the issue of altruistic surrogacy in the Council of Europe countries in 2016. The aspect of sacrifice of the surrogate mother for the well-being of the couple who wants a child is often raised. However, the mere altruistic intention to help another does not make an act ethically acceptable. The paper also draws attention to several ethical reservations regarding surrogacy. The most controversial issue is the instrumentalization of a woman’s body. Especially in poor countries, the victims of surrogacy are very badly informed about the procedure, while their freedom and autonomy are significantly infringed. A child born to a surrogate mother can also be a victim of various interests of intended parents, different corporations and the woman who gave birth to him/her. The paper outlines the vulnerability of the intended parents, the surrogate mother, and above all the child, who is often forgotten in the debates. Additionally, it also touches upon the frequently neglected ethical perspective of personal desire, sacrifice, and victimization. When is it ethically acceptable, from the point of the altruistic action recipient, to expect and accept altruistic actions? When do subjective expectations and desires cross the boundary that divides means of overcoming health limitations from mere selfishness? Last but not least, it also questions when the intent of helping others transforms from an ethically acceptable sacrifice to ethically unacceptable victimization.

Expending effort may share neural responses with reward and evokes high subjective satisfaction

Throughout our daily lives, the levels of effort we invest in various tasks are influenced by reward processing. The subjective expectation after expending effort is a primary factor affecting reward processing. However, recent studies indicate that individual differences in reward anticipation influence this subjective valuation. To better understand the relationship between effort expenditure and the subjective valuation of rewards, in this study, we perform an experiment in which we manipulate effort, control reward expectation implicitly, and measure the subjective valuation of rewards using event-related potentials (ERPs) and physical effort through behavioral measures (number of keystrokes). In the reward-task paradigm, 30 subjects performed effort and control trials, with the reward probability comparable across the effort and control conditions. We also examined the ERPs associated with the valuation of subjective rewards, including reward positivity (RewP) and set reward expectation controlled as the baseline. The results showed that the ERP amplitudes, the number of keystrokes, and explicit satisfaction ratings were all significantly greater in the effort condition than in the control condition. The participants maintained high levels of effort throughout the sessions associated with the experiment. The results of this study suggest that when reward expectations are controlled, effort expenditure evokes neural responses similar to reward feedback being given, which is linked with increased subjective satisfaction.

For Better or Worse? Subjective Expectations and Cost-Benefit Trade-Offs in Health Behavior

For Better or Worse? Subjective Expectations and Cost-Benefit Trade-Offs in Health Behavior

Inclusive culture in the aspect of realizing the rehabilitation potential of subjects accompanying children with autism spectrum disorders

Introduction. Socialization of children with autism spectrum disorders is carried out through their immersion in the sociocultural space. The most important component of sociocultural integration is reliance on the rehabilitation potential of both individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their immediate environment. An analysis of understanding inclusive culture was embedded in the ideological concept of the research initiative. The study aims to determine the conceptual positions of inclusive culture as a specific system of attitudes, knowledge and skills that contribute to solving problems of including children with autism spectrum disorders and their immediate environment in various sociocultural spaces and relationships. Materials and methods. The study involved 307 people representing four subject groups of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast of the Russian Federation: teachers/specialists of preschool educational institutions, teachers/specialists of general education organizations, parents of children with autism spectrum disorders and students receiving defectology education. The main research method was the author's questionnaire survey of respondents followed by expert assessment. Results. The obtained results reflect the variable subjective positions of respondents in relation to various aspects of inclusive culture as the basis for the inclusive potential of persons with autism spectrum disorders and their immediate environment. The differences in understanding the essence and mechanisms of inclusive culture and of its place in personal and social context among different subjects of educational space are updated. This aspect allows objectifying the problem of effective interaction between family and educational organization in disclosure and implementation of the rehabilitation potential of persons with autism spectrum disorders. More than 50% of teachers/specialists of educational organizations, as well as 70% of surveyed students and parents of children with autism spectrum disorders, differentiate the concepts of ‘culture of inclusion’ and ‘inclusive culture’, giving them different content contexts. 57% of surveyed teachers and 65% of parents consider persons with disabilities to be objects of inclusive culture, i.e. they are assigned a more passive role as a consumer of this very culture specially formed for them. Conclusion. The results obtained allow determining the main directions of educational, advisory and psychocorrectional work aimed at increasing psychological and pedagogical competence of specialists and parents who accompany children with autism spectrum disorders. Subjective expectations and ideas of respondents about the indicators and criteria of psychological culture, inclusion and features of interaction between society and people with disabilities act as a guideline for strategic planning of comprehensive support for families raising children with autism spectrum disorders

ВПЛИВ РОСІЙСЬКОЇ АГРЕСІЇ НА ДОЛАРИЗАЦІЮ В УКРАЇНІ

The article is dedicated to the impact of the russian aggression against Ukraine on the dollarization of the Ukrainian economy. Among the reasons for the traditionally high level of dollarization in Ukraine are frequent currency and financial crises with sharp devaluation of hryvnia, distrust in the national currency, the banking system and the economic policy in general, and the lack of structural reforms. Recently, the russian war against Ukraine has become a new key factor. Russian aggression against Ukraine is proposed to be divided into three stages – the beginning of the aggression in 2014–2015; the war in the Eastern Ukraine in 2016–2022; the full-scale invasion since 2022. The dynamics of dollarization in Ukraine in these periods was calculated using the official statistical data of the National Bank of Ukraine and was compared with the dynamics of two main economic factors – the exchange rate and inflation, as well as the key political events of that time. The first stage of the russian aggression is characterized by a significant increase of dollarization, a high devaluation of hryvnia and a high inflation. The second stage showed a gradual decrease of dollarization indicators, a relative stabilization of the floating exchange rate of hryvnia and a decrease of inflation. During the third stage of the russian aggression since 2022 there was a new increase of the dollarization indicators with a consequent decrease due to a fixed exchange rate of hryvnia and an adaptation of business to the conditions of war. So, the russian aggression against Ukraine has a negative impact on the level of dollarization of the Ukrainian economy. However, after stabilization of the exchange rate of hryvnia, we can observe a gradual decline of dollarization. In particular, after the jump at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the level of dollarization has stabilized and is gradually decreasing in 2023 due to a long-term falling of the inflation rate, an exchange rate stability, significant volumes of international aid received and expected in the future, an adaptation of business to the conditions of war and a stabilization of the expectations of economic agents. The future success of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the liberation of the occupied territories will have a positive effect on the expectations of economic subjects, and, as a result, on the further gradual decrease of the level of dollarization.

Transcranial direct current stimulation in perinatal mental health: current status and future directions

Abstract One in five women in the peripartum period (from pregnancy and up to twelve months after delivery) will experience a mood or anxiety disorder. While pregnant or breastfeeding, 70-80% of women diagnosed with mood/anxiety disorders refuse medication, postpone treatment, or accept treatments below clinical dose. 20-30% might consider antidepressants but quit breastfeeding. Untreated perinatal depression/anxiety has detrimental effects in women’s overall health and wellbeing, negatively impacting infant’s health and development. Additionally, untreated perinatal mental health disrupts the mother-infant dyad and family relationships, representing a heavy burden on societies. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is known to have a beneficial effect (with modest effect sizes) in Major Depression, showing a safe profile. tDCS uses portable devices, easily combined with remote health care, and has proven its potential to be transferred to home-based delivered treatments. Despite the available evidence not supporting the need for a general precaution against its use in the perinatal period, researchers, IRBs, regulators and manufacturers keep conveying the idea that tDCS is a high-risk intervention for pregnant or breastfeeding women, leading to a lack of studies about tDCS as an alternative treatment for perinatal disorders. A systematic review of the literature will be presented, about the evidence of efficacy of tDCS to manage depressive/anxiety symptoms in the peripartum period. Further, this review will be informed by qualitative data on the subjective experiences and expectations about tDCS as an alternative treatment to perinatal mental health from women with lived experience of PPD and perinatal mental health professionals. With this data we aim to set the context for future research about the use of tDCS in perinatal mental health and shed light to the needed changes by regulatory bodies, the market, research, and the clinical practice about the usability of tDCS in perinatal mental health. Research Category and Technology and Methods Clinical Research: 9. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Keywords: tDCS, Peripartum depression, Efficacy, Acceptability

Expectations as a Factor of Tobacco Smoking Initiation in Youth

Introduction: Disappointing statistics of the World Health Organization on the growing number of new smokers, including those choosing electronic nicotine delivery systems, requires studies of both social factors and intrinsic subjective motivation to start smoking, where the main role is played by expectations of young people. The article discusses expectations of youth from smoking initiation and those from regular cigarette smoking. It also describes reported expectations and concomitant factors that preceded the initiation of smoking. Objective: To study the impact of expectations of young adults on smoking initiation. Materials and methods: An online survey of young people was conducted in January – May 2021 in the city of Khimki, Moscow Region, using Google Forms. All respondents were regular smokers (n = 360, 17–24 years of age; confidence level: 5 %, confidence interval: 95 %; criterion sampling). The study of youth expectations was retrospective and accurate enough in assessing subjective expectations from smoking initiation. Nonparametric statistics (Spearman’s rank correlation) was used for data analysis. Results: The main reason for initiation of tobacco smoking is a social factor confirming expectations of “feeling like an adult” (78.3 %) in young smokers with the support of friends, where smoking in the company of peers prevails over other occasions of tobacco use (76.6 %). Smoking among young people with little experience is attributed to social dependence, and, above all, social expectations. Consequently, 30.0 % of young adults have a significant potential for quitting smoking. A high social significance of the peers’ perception of the fact of starting smoking as a way to emphasize the overcoming of negative physical expectations was also confirmed. Positive expectations from smoking, such as relaxation and emancipation, significantly exceed negative ones (discomfort and malaise). Conclusions: Expectations have proved to be a determining factor in initiation of tobacco smoking among young people, which requires a change in the social component of smoking prevention techniques by bringing it to the level of the national idea of a healthy lifestyle (activity and longevity).

A study on the parasitic process and function extension of the “jieguo(结果)” counter-expectation mark function, based on the grammaticalized “continuous environment” theory

Firstly, this paper identifies the nature of “jie guo(结果)” combined with context and expected cognitive model，and finds that it has the function of counter-expectation marking. Secondly, combined with the grammaticalized “continuous environment” theory, the environment and path of the parasitic process of the “jie guo(结果)” counter-expectation marker function and its function expansion were investigated. The study found that the counter-expectation marker “jie guo(结果)” has already implied the meaning of “unexpected” in the atypical environment “S1, jieguo(结果) S2 which indicated coherence or causality. When it is in the critical environment ‘S1, jieguo(结果)S2’”, and the construction can be reanalyzed so that the outcome of the event represented by “S2’” is different from the explicit or implicit expectations of the S1 cognitive subject, the “result” has been In the development of anti-expectation mark; with the construction of “S1’(X), jie guo(结果)S2’”, “result” develops into anti-expectation mark. When it is in the critical environment “S1, jieguo(结果)S2’”, and the construction can be re analyzed as the difference between the event outcome represented by “S2’” and the explicit or implicit expectation of the cognitive subject of S1, the “jieguo(结果)” is already developing into counter-expectation marker. The frequent use of “jie guo(结果)” in spoken language also makes “jie guo (结果)” develop the function of counter-expectation discourse markers and petphrase, which are the manifestations of its continued subjectivization and interactive subjectivization.

Caring masculinities at work in later life: Exploring relational care work in retirement

AbstractThe paper reports on research that investigates older men's care practices and how their caring for others opens new ways of exploring the intersections of aging, gender, and care work. Using the concept caring masculinities as a sensitizing concept, the onus is on exploring patterns of power, interdependence, and relationality within men's care practices. Aging masculinities often remain constructed around paid‐for occupational work (in opposition to unpaid care work) despite the transition into retirement. Little work exists on how caring is at work in later life potentially transforming gender relations and enacted masculinities. Moreover, much of the research on aging masculinities have not considered the expansiveness of retirement and the discourses as well as subjective expectations around the activity in later life that create an uncertain terrain of socioculturally structured mandates to be navigated. This paper draws on data from two qualitative interview studies conducted with retired men in England and Germany, in which the role of caregiving emerged as an inductive theme in their narratives. The paper makes a specific contribution to developing empirical and theoretical knowledge of caring masculinities and power relations by providing insights on men's trajectories into caring, and how they make sense of their caring for and about others.

A dopaminergic reward prediction error signal shapes maternal behavior in mice

How social contact is perceived as rewarding and subsequently modifies interactions is unclear. Dopamine (DA) from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) regulates sociality, but the ongoing, unstructured nature of free behavior makes it difficult to ascertain how. Here, we tracked the emergence of a repetitive stereotyped parental retrieval behavior and conclude that VTA DA neurons incrementally refine it by reinforcement learning (RL). Trial-by-trial performance was correlated with the history of DA neuron activity, but DA signals were inconsistent with VTA directly influencing the current trial. We manipulated the subject's expectation of imminent pup contact and show that DA signals convey reward prediction error, a fundamental component of RL. Finally, closed-loop optogenetic inactivation of DA neurons at the onset of pup contact dramatically slowed emergence of parental care. We conclude that this component of maternal behavior is shaped by an RL mechanism in which social contact itself is the primary reward.

Practical aspects of estimation of influence of groups of lobbyism are on priorities of strategy of development of rural areas and agricultural enterprises

In the article certainly priorities of the strategic planning of rural areas development and agricultural enterprises recognition weak stimulus of transformation of expectations on the real actions of groups of lobbyism in the conditions of risks which generate potentially negative risk decisions in accordance with standard rational expectations. There is disparity between subjective expectations and rational actions of groups of lobbyism in the conditions of institutional features of the partner organizations predefined prognoses in relation to strategy of rural areas development in previous periods and forming of subjective expectations about the prospects of deepening a particular branch aspects of European integration and subsequent institutional approchement of regional development policy for providing food security. Systematic uncoincidences between legalistically declared and really incarnate through the institutes of development strategy predetermine disparities of structure in a particular branch investments in an agro-food subcomplex for food security providing at national level. Inconsistency of priorities of agro-food subcomplex strategic development between entrepreneurs interested in permanent expansion of raw material export of plant-based products with the low degree of processing to the high marginal oversea markets and farms, oriented mainly to the internal consumers, predetermines disproportion of capital generuting for development of separate branches. Potential influence of groups of lobbyism at national level in transformation of development priorities of branches of agriculture recognition the limited influence of public opinion of habitants in rural areas at regional level predetermines strengthening of disproportion of development and standard of rural population living in different territorial areas, forming the important aspect of socio-economic reality. Disproportion and recurrence of dynamics of increase of the labour productivity increases for agricultural producers. Achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals priorities becomes complicated in the conditions of stochastic network reactions of groups of lobbyism on calls in a national agro-food subcomplex. The network going near activity of groups of lobbyism predetermines strengthening of competition for bringing in of solvent agricultural producers to membership in institutional organization and their possibilities from development of analytical instruments. In a national agro-food subcomplex more widespread lobbyism is at parliamentary and ministerial level by comparison to private lobbyism of interests in concrete subject of entrepreneurial activity. Basic attention is spared development and realization at support of groups of lobbyism decisions from the questions of simplification access to land-tenure, enhancement output to the oversea markets with an export raw material agricultural produce and simplifications of terms of access foreign agricultural chemistry to the national market. At regional level influence of groups of lobbyism is related to the point forming of advantages for the profitability increase of separate subjects of entrepreneurial activity. A long-term income stimulates agricultural enterprises strategy priorities of development through the groups of lobbyism. Greater possibilities for lobbying of strategy priorities in a national agro-food subcomplex at large agricultural enterprises. Farms in the conditions of competition are limited in income generating and have less possibilities for lobbying of acceptable decisions in a national agro-food subcomplex. Potential possibilities of income generating in concrete industry of agriculture stimulate the subjects of entrepreneurial activity to increase activity of own participation on bringing in of different groups of lobbyism for advancement of the forecast administrative decisions from development of constituents of national agro-food subcomplex. The groups of lobbyism are oriented on simplification of procedures of regulator influence on development of branches of agriculture in Ukraine. In the period of post-war reсovery of national agro-food subcomplex influence of groups of lobbyism on making decision from the questions of industries development is transformed recognition necessity of food security providing at national and regional level.

CONTINUED OPIOID USE REDUCES PERCEIVED CHANCE OF LIVING TO AGE 75 AMONG YOUNG-OLD INDIVIDUALS WITH CHRONIC PAIN

Abstract Pain limits older adults’ predictions of their own life expectancies. Due to their analgesic properties and simultaneous linkages to depression, poor subjective health, and functional disability, it is uncertain if the use of opioids augments or contributes to limitations in subjective life expectancy (SLE). This study uses 2016 and 2018 data from the Health and Retirement study to assess the predictive value of prescription opioid use transitions on perceived chances of living to age 75 (SLE). Our sample includes 50 to 62 year-olds who reported pain in both waves (N=1,977). The OLS model controls for pain intensity and activity interference, socio-demographic factors, six chronic conditions, depression, and the 2016 baseline outcome measure. Relative to non-opioid users, respondents who transitioned off of opioids after 2016 reported significantly higher SLEs in 2018 (b=5.56, p=.05). Respondents who used opioids in both waves reported significantly lower SLEs relative to non-opioid users (b=-4.17, p=.02). Individuals who began using opioids following the 2016 wave were no different on SLE than non-opioid users (p=.11). Higher 2016 SLE predictions and being female were associated with higher SLEs. Being never married and ever having diabetes were negatively associated with SLE. Continued opioid use among individuals with chronic pain reduced anticipated chances of living to 75 whereas transitioning off of such medications had the opposite effect. Despite their analgesic properties, prescribed opioid use has negative effects on future outlook independent of pain, health status, and depression. As a consequence, continued opioid users may poor health and/or financial planning decisions.

Dissociable feedback valence effects on frontal midline theta during reward gain versus threat avoidance learning.

While frontal midline theta (FMθ) has been associated with threat processing, with cognitive control in the context of anxiety, and with reinforcement learning, most reinforcement learning studies on FMθ have used reward rather than threat-related stimuli as reinforcer. Accordingly, the role of FMθ in threat-related reinforcement learning is largely unknown. Here, n=23 human participants underwent one reward-, and one punishment-, based reversal learning task, which differed only with regard to the kind of reinforcers that feedback was tied to (i.e., monetary gain vs. loud noise burst, respectively). In addition to single-trial EEG, we assessed single-trial feedback expectations based on both a reinforcement learning computational model and trial-by-trial subjective feedback expectation ratings. While participants' performance and feedback expectations were comparable between the reward and punishment tasks, FMθ was more reliably amplified to negative vs. positive feedback in the reward vs. punishment task. Regressions with feedback valence, computationally derived, and self-reported expectations as predictors and FMθ as criterion further revealed that trial-by-trial variations in FMθ specifically relate to reward-related feedback-valence and not to threat-related feedback or to violated expectations/prediction errors. These findings suggest that FMθ as measured in reinforcement learning tasks may be less sensitive to the processing of events with direct relevance for fear and anxiety.

Subjective Well-Being and Active Life Expectancy in Japan: Evidence From a Longitudinal Study.

Existing research has suggested that older adults in Japan enjoy phenomenal physical health status, but they have poor subjective well-being (SWB). Limited empirical evidence exists, however, on how physical health and SWB intersect and are linked to the lives of older men and women in Japan. Using the concept of health expectancy, this study examines the role of SWB, as measured by life satisfaction, in the mortality and morbidity experiences of Japanese adults aged 65 years and older. We used the nationally representative Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging, 1999-2009. Our measurement of morbidity is disability, based on difficulty in activities in daily living (ADLs) and instrumental ADLs. We use the Interpolation of Markov Chains approach to compute life expectancy (LE), LE without disability (active LE), and LE with differing severity of disability for those who are satisfied with life and for those who are not. We documented significant differences in LE and active LE by the state of life satisfaction among older adults in Japan. Men and women who are satisfied with life are expected to live longer and spend more years without having disability compared to those who are not satisfied. We found no differences in the length of life with disability of differing severity by the state of life satisfaction. Our results highlight the important role of SWB at older ages in Japan, because it is directly related to the physical health of its aging population. Fully understanding the health of the older population requires research that focuses on both objective and subjective dimensions of well-being.