Volitional Behaviour Research Articles

Short-term exposure to near-future CO2has limited influence on the energetics and behaviour of young-of-year salmonids

In many freshwater ecosystems, carbon dioxide (CO2) is increasing. Unknown are the risks that high CO2poses for freshwater organisms, especially fish. The objective of this study was to determine how CO2may influence the growth rate, metabolic rate, feeding rate, and volitional behaviour of young-of-year Arctic charr ( Salvelinus alpinus (Linnaeus, 1758)), brook charr ( Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill, 1814)), and rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792)). For this study, fish stayed in control (1100 microatmospheres (µatm)) or elevated (5236 µatm) CO2levels for 15 days. During this time, metabolic rate and behavioural tests were conducted on alternating days for each treatment. Weight and length of each fish were taken on days 0, 7, and 15. There was no evidence that elevated CO2affected the growth rate, feeding rate, or behaviour in any of these species. The standard metabolic rate in Arctic charr differed based on CO2exposure. Therefore, salmonids can withstand short periods of elevated CO2under these conditions. By comparing closely related species, the implications of this work are more ecologically relevant and will also help industry quantify the effects of high CO2on young salmonids.

Designing of 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran derivatives as inhibitors of PDE1B using pharmacophore screening, ensemble docking and molecular dynamics approach

In recent years, the PDE1B enzyme has become a desirable drug target for the treatment of psychological and neurological disorders, particularly schizophrenia disorder, due to the expression of PDE1B in brain regions involved in volitional behaviour, learning and memory. Although several inhibitors of PDE1 have been identified using different methods, none of these inhibitors has reached the market yet. Thus, searching for novel PDE1B inhibitors is considered a major scientific challenge. In this study, pharmacophore-based screening, ensemble docking and molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to identify a lead inhibitor of PDE1B with a new chemical scaffold. Five PDE1B crystal structures have been utilised in the docking study to improve the possibility of identifying an active compound compared to the use of a single crystal structure. Finally, the structure-activity- relationship was studied, and the structure of the lead molecule was modified to design novel inhibitors with a high affinity for PDE1B. As a result, two novel compounds have been designed that exhibited a higher affinity to PDE1B compared to the lead compound and the other designed compounds.

Effectiveness of eHealth weight management interventions in overweight and obese adults from low socioeconomic groups: a systematic review

BackgroundLow socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with increased rates of overweight and obesity. Proponents of electronic health (eHealth) hypothesise that its inclusion in weight management interventions can improve efficacy by mitigating typical barriers associated with low SES.ObjectivesTo establish the scope of eHealth weight management interventions for people with overweight and obesity from a low SES. Secondary objectives were to determine the efficacy of eHealth interventions in facilitating weight loss, physical activity and fitness improvements.MethodsFour databases and grey literature were systematically searched to identify eligible studies published in English from inception to May 2021. Studies examining an eHealth intervention with low SES participants were included. Outcomes included temporal change in weight and BMI, anthropometry, physiological measures and physical activity levels. The number and heterogeneity of studies precluded any meta-analyses; thus, a narrative review was undertaken.ResultsFour experimental studies with low risk of bias were reviewed. There was variance in how SES was defined. Study aims and eHealth media also varied and included reducing/maintaining weight or increasing physical activity using interactive websites or voice responses, periodic communication and discourse via telephone, social media, text messaging or eNewsletters. Irrespectively, all studies reported short-term weight loss. eHealth interventions also increased short-term physical activity levels where it was assessed, but did not change anthropometry or physiological measures. None reported any effect on physical fitness.ConclusionsThis review revealed short-term effects of eHealth interventions on weight loss and increased physical activity levels for low SES participants. Evidence was limited to a small number of studies, with small to moderate sample sizes. Inter-study comparison is challenging because of considerable variability. Future work should prioritise how to utilise eHealth in the longer term either as a supportive public health measure or by determining its long-term efficacy in engendering volitional health behaviour changes.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42021243973

The theory of planned behaviour and sleep opportunity: An ecological momentary assessment.

Many American adolescents and adults report that they are not meeting sleep duration recommendations. Although insufficient sleep duration can occur due to factors outside an individual's direct control, many individuals choose to restrict their own sleep. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) offers a framework to study this phenomenon. Recent research efforts have used the TPB to study sleep and have demonstrated success predicting sleep-related intentions and behaviour but have failed to consider volitional sleep behaviour or consider between- and within-person differences. The present study used an intensive longitudinal design to test how constructs of the TPB relate to nightly sleep opportunity. Healthy college students (N=79) participated in a weeklong study in which they completed four ecological momentary assessment signals per day that measured their attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and intentions relating to their nocturnal sleep opportunity. Participants wore an actiwatch each night of the study to measure their sleep opportunity. Mixed linear models found that both intentions and perceived behavioural control were significant predictors of subsequent sleep opportunity, and that perceived behaviour control was the strongest within-day predictor of intentions. Results demonstrate that within-person changes in perceived behavioural control and intentions predict subsequent sleep opportunity and provide insight into the potential refinement of sleep promotion efforts.

Психическое развитие ребенка в дошкольном возрасте

This is the first English translation of the paper of the prominent Soviet scholar Alexey Nikolaevich Leontiev (1903—1979) published in 1948. The paper introduces the author’s ideas on mental and personality development in preschool children based on the research results of his close colleagues under his leadership during the 1930-s and 1940-s. It embraces the conditions and features of the development of the hierarchy of motives in preschoolers which underlies the emergence of volitional behaviour at this age. Evidence is provided for the role of the motivational structure in the volitional regulation of such cognitive processes as perception, memory and in the emergence of children’s control of their motor processes. It demonstrates that the motives of the child of the preschool age get subordinated when the child is engaged in the social interaction with the participation of an adult. In a brief preface to this publication, E.E. Sokolova highlights the context of the author’s work, the continuity of his ideas of the activity theory with Vygotsky’s approach, and emphasizes a nontrivial approach in Leontiev’s school to mental development as rooted in the total activity of the subject rather than in the brain processes

Increased discriminability of authenticity from multimodal laughter is driven by auditory information.

We present an investigation of the perception of authenticity in audiovisual laughter, in which we contrast spontaneous and volitional samples and examine the contributions of unimodal affective information to multimodal percepts. In a pilot study, we demonstrate that listeners perceive spontaneous laughs as more authentic than volitional ones, both in unimodal (audio-only, visual-only) and multimodal contexts (audiovisual). In the main experiment, we show that the discriminability of volitional and spontaneous laughter is enhanced for multimodal laughter. Analyses of relationships between affective ratings and the perception of authenticity show that, while both unimodal percepts significantly predict evaluations of audiovisual laughter, it is auditory affective cues that have the greater influence on multimodal percepts. We discuss differences and potential mismatches in emotion signalling through voices and faces, in the context of spontaneous and volitional behaviour, and highlight issues that should be addressed in future studies of dynamic multimodal emotion processing.

Differentiating Non-Suicidal Self-Injury and Risky Drinking: a Role for Outcome Expectancies and Self-Efficacy Beliefs.

Social cognitive theory articulates a role for two key thought processes in governing volitional behaviour: outcome expectancies and self-efficacy expectancies. These cognitions are behaviour-specific, and should thus differentiate people who engage in one behaviour over another. This paper presents the results of a study applying social cognitive theory to explore how outcome expectancies and self-efficacy expectancies differentially relate to non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and risky alcohol use amongst a sample of young adults. A sample of 389 undergraduate students completed self-report questionnaires assessing their engagement in NSSI, alcohol consumption, their beliefs about the anticipated consequences of self-injury and alcohol consumption (outcome expectancies), and their belief in their ability to resist self-injury or risky drinking (resistance self-efficacy). Generally, people who self-injure rather than drink are characterised by a belief in the ability to resist drinking, coupled with stronger positive, and weaker negative, NSSI expectancies. People who self-injure are less likely to think alcohol reduces tension than people who do not self-injure. People who engaged in both NSSI and risky drinking report more anxiety than participants who engaged only in risky drinking and lowered ability to resist self-injury. Overall, the findings suggest that a unique combination of beliefs differentially predict NSSI and drinking. The pattern of results suggests potential avenues for future research to delineate why people engage in one behaviour rather than another and to inform future prevention and early intervention initiatives.

Mindfulness meditation practice and executive functioning: Breaking down the benefit.

This paper focuses on evidence for mindfulness meditation-related benefits to executive functioning, processes important for much of human volitional behaviour. Miyake et al. (2000) have shown that executive functions can be fractionated into three distinct domains including inhibition, working memory updating, and mental set shifting. Considering these separable domains, it is important to determine whether the effects of mindfulness can generalize to all three sub-functions or are specific to certain domains. To address this, the current review applied Miyake et al.'s (2000) fractionated model of executive functioning to the mindfulness literature. Empirical studies assessing the benefits of mindfulness to measures tapping the inhibition, updating, and shifting components of executive functioning were examined. Results suggest a relatively specific as opposed to general benefit resulting from mindfulness, with consistent inhibitory improvement, but more variable advantages to the updating and shifting domains. Recommendations surrounding application of mindfulness practice and future research are discussed.

No pain, no gain: insights into changing individual volitional behaviour

Physical activity is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. The purpose of this study is threefold: first, to empirically examine the effect of attitudes on people's intentions towards starting a new physical activity in three weight groups; second, to explore differences within various demographic groups; and finally, to offer research and practical implications for social marketers who are working in the area of physical activity. A total of 1459 respondents participated in an online survey. Our findings indicate that when individuals hold both negative and positive attitudes towards physical activity, they will have higher intentions to start a new physical activity. Empirical examination identified that overweight and obese people have more negative and less positive attitudes than healthier people toward physical activity. The results indicate that overcoming negative attitudes and reinforcing positive attitudes remain as a necessary condition to influence volitional behaviours such as physical activity, which requires cognitive processing and actions in order for the behaviour to be changed. People engaging in physical activities understand both positive and negative effects of physical activities, and they may engage in physical activities despite knowing there are short‐term costs.Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

How Viable Is the UTAUT Model in a Non-Western Context?

The present research examines the plausibility of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model in predicting internet banking behaviour as a newly adopted technology in third world countries. Data is collected from three Arab countries: Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Confirmatory factor analysis is used to test the hypothesized structural model. Findings are congruent with model testing under conditions of volitional usage behaviour. In this regard, the role of facilitating conditions variable is insignificant as a determinant of usage behaviour. Social norms variable also proved to be weak determinant of behavioural intentions. Findings demonstrate effort expectancy as the key determinant of internet banking usage behaviour in the examined markets, while users’ experience moderates the impact of effort expectancy on behavioural intention. Results should enhance our understanding of internet banking usage in developing countries and support e-services promoting in this region.

Predicting teachers’ use of digital learning materials: combining self-determination theory and the integrative model of behaviour prediction

In this article, we report on a study that investigated the motivational (e.g. intrinsic motivation) and dispositional variables (e.g. attitudes) that determine teachers’ intention to use or not to use digital learning materials (DLMs). To understand the direct and indirect relationships between these variables, we replicated a study in which self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of planned behaviour/integrated model of behaviour prediction (IMBP) are combined and a distinction was made between global level psychological needs, and contextual level as well as situational level motivational constructs. Using a sample of 1273 teachers, our preliminary findings support the findings of the previous study. The combined model potentially provides us with a more comprehensive explanation of teachers’ volitional behaviour regarding their use of DLMs in their pedagogical practices than would be possible on the basis of SDT or IMBP alone.

The psychology of volition

Volition can be studied from two perspectives. From the third-person view, volitional behaviour is internally generated, rather than being determined by the immediate environmental context, and is therefore, to some extent, unpredictable. Such behaviour is not unique to humans, since it is seen in many other species including invertebrates. From the first-person view, our experience of volitional behaviour includes a vivid sense of agency. We feel that, through our intentions, we can cause things to happen and we can choose between different actions. Our experience of agency is not direct. It depends on sub-personal inferences derived from prior expectations and sensations associated with movement. As a result, our experiences and intuitions about volition can be unreliable and uncertain. Nevertheless, our experience of agency is not a mere epiphenomenon. Anticipation of the regret we might feel after making the wrong choice can alter behaviour. Furthermore, the strong sense of responsibility, associated with agency, has a critical role in creating social cohesion and group benefits. We can only study the experience of agency in humans who can describe their experiences. The discussion of the experience of volition, that introspection and communication make possible, can change our experience of volitional actions. As a result, agency, regret and responsibility are cultural phenomena that are unique to humans.

Testing Phase‐Specific Self‐Efficacy Beliefs in the Context of Dietary Behaviour Change

Self-efficacy is an important predictor of health behaviour change. Within the health action process approach (HAPA; Schwarzer, 2008), motivational and volitional self-efficacy can be distinguished. Motivational self-efficacy is assumed to serve as predictor of intention formation whereas volitional self-efficacy should be relevant for behaviour change. This study examined these assumptions in a sample with overweight and obese individuals. Moreover, we tested whether behavioural intentions moderate the association between volitional self-efficacy and behaviour. Overall, 373 overweight and obese individuals completed a baseline and six months later a follow-up questionnaire on HAPA variables and dietary behaviour. A factor analysis confirmed the phase-specific separation of self-efficacy. Motivational self-efficacy emerged as predictor for behavioural intentions over and above other HAPA variables after six months, whereas volitional self-efficacy did not. Volitional self-efficacy interacted with intention in the prediction of behaviour, indicating that volitional self-efficacy is only beneficial for individuals with high levels of intentions. The results provide evidence for the phase-specific distinction of self-efficacy in the context of dietary change in an overweight or obese sample. Thus, differentiating between motivational and volitional self-efficacy beliefs should be considered when developing future interventions of dietary change.

Quantifying behaviour of migratory fish: Application of signal detection theory to fisheries engineering

Behavioural devices that attract or deflect migrating fish to preferred routes are used to enhance the efficiency of mechanical structures (e.g. screens at turbine and other intakes) or as an alternative to them when their application is deemed unviable. Fish response to stimuli (signals) encountered, and consequently the efficiency of these behavioural devices, can be highly variable. To further develop efficient behavioural screens and fish pass technology there is a need for a generic framework to (1) better understand fish response to environmental stimuli and causes of variation, and (2) quantify ability to detect stimuli and respond in a way deemed appropriate from a management perspective. This paper considers application of signal detection theory (SDT) to fish passage research, using downstream migrating juvenile salmonids as a model. Support is provided in the scientific literature for two key assumptions, that downstream migrants are able to exhibit volitional behaviour in response to stimuli encountered and that these behaviours can be interpreted by an observer to indicate the detection of a signal. Re-evaluation of available data highlights the temporal variability of decision making and elicitation of behaviour within and between individuals, and that sensitivity (d′), a measure of the ability to detect a signal (e.g. hydraulic gradient), increases with signal strength and when multimodal stimuli are presented. SDT is likely to provide a useful “first base” for understanding and quantifying fish behaviour in the development of screens and fish passes.

Dancing to a different tune: The predictive utility of the theory of planned behaviour when the behaviour is constrained

Objective The predictive utility of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was tested in a fit, healthy population who were required to exercise regularly. Four physical activity behaviours were examined: one volitional behaviour (dancing) and three activities offered during daily physical training (PT, i.e. running, swimming, team sport). Method RAF trainee aircraftsmen ( N = 186) completed a questionnaire assessing TPB constructs and past behaviour, followed by a 7-day Physical Activity Recall interview. Participants repeated the behaviour measures one-week later. During the week prior to participation, participants were “free living” and did not have to take PT sessions; during the week between measurement sessions, participants were on base, and so had to complete a compulsory 90 min exercise session, although they were free to choose the specific PT activity. Results While intentions were well predicted for all behaviours, the TPB variables explained more of the variance for the volitional behaviour (19.6%) than for constrained behaviours (average 3.5%). Addition of past behaviour resulted in minimal improvement of the existing TPB model of intention and future behaviour for all measured physical activities. Conclusion The TPB appears unsuitable for prediction of physical activity when behaviours are constrained by external influences, but appropriate when they are not. Using an assessment of past behaviour during a period when behaviour had different constraints on it than during the period of behaviour being predicted dramatically reduced the contribution of past behaviour compared to previous research.

Towards a theory of intentional behaviour change: Plans, planning, and self‐regulation

Briefly review the current state of theorizing about volitional behaviour change and identification of challenges and possible solutions for future theory development. Review of the literature and theoretical analysis. Reasoned action theories have made limited contributions to the science of behaviour change as they do not propose means of changing cognitions or account for existing effective behaviour change techniques. Changing beliefs does not guarantee behaviour change. The implementation intentions (IMPs) approach to planning has advanced theorizing but the applications to health behaviours often divert substantially from the IMPs paradigm with regard to interventions, effects, mediators and moderators. Better construct definitions and differentiations are needed to make further progress in integrating theory and understanding behaviour change. Further progress in theorizing can be achieved by (a) disentangling planning constructs to study their independent and joint effects on behaviour, (b) progressing research on moderators and mediators of planning effects outside the laboratory and (c) integrating planning processes within learning theory and self-regulation theory.

Neuroimaging and pain: a window on the autonomic nervous system

Pain is one of the most common experiences of humans. Neuroimaging techniques can visualize the main brain areas involved in pain modulation, the pain matrix. It is noteworthy that many of the brain areas forming the pain matrix are also involved in modulating autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity that in turn plays a major role in determining the best adaptive response to the pain experience. The tight connection between the pain system and ANS is also evident from neuroanatomical studies indicating that the lamina 1 neurons receive both painful and visceral stimuli from all visceral organs giving rise to the spinothalamocortical pathway concerned with conveying interoceptive information to central structures. The resulting interoceptive stream projects to the viscerosensory cortex in the mid-insula and onto the right anterior insula and orbitofrontal cortices. Right anterior insula activation is involved in the sympathetic arousal associated with mental tasks. This brain region receives numerous other inputs including pain and painful stimuli are conveyed somatotopically to both insulae. A similar somatotopic organization of painful stimuli has also been shown in the basal ganglia involved in cognitive, affective, motor and autonomic states. This highly specialized organization of nociceptive information in these brain areas may subserve a number of functions, particularly of coupling pain with the most appropriate autonomic states and affective/emotional states. The anterior cingulated cortex, another brain area playing a crucial role in nociception, is also directly involved in the control of autonomic functions such as arousal during volitional behaviour, including effortful cognitive processing. It is evident that the nociceptive system and ANS closely interact in many processes involved in maintaining internal homeostatis and in order to give the most appropriate biological substrate for cognitive, affective and emotional states.

Enacting risk reduction: an examination of the volitional stages of smoking cessation within Scotland

AbstractThis study examines an extended version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) in the context of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) as an aid to smoking cessation. An attempt is made to address the intention–behaviour gap identified in the literature by specifically focusing on the role and interrelationships of volitional stages, namely intention, planning and anticipated effort. A convenience sample of 207 female smokers, aged 16–36, provided information about their views, attitudes and volitional behaviour regarding the use of NRT as an aid to smoking cessation. Results of this study show the TPB to be pertinent, accounting for 41% of the variance in intention to use NRT as an aid to smoking cessation. Furthermore, behavioural intention is found to mediate the relationship between the TPB antecedents (attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control) and each of the two volitional elements, planning and anticipated effort. The implications of these findings are discussed.

The Influence of Virtual Reality Play on Children'S Motivation

This study explored the degree of motivation children exhibit during virtual reality (VR) play sessions. Sixteen children with cerebral palsy aged 8 to 12 years participated. They were observed during a variety of VR environments that were video recorded. The Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire (PVQ) was used to measure children's motivation. The PVQ provides insights into children's inner motives as well as how the virtual environment enhances or attenuates children's motives. Nine VR environments were randomly selected to score with the PVQ. Data were analyzed and descriptive statistics were calculated for modes and medians of total volition scores for each VR environment. Different environments produced varying levels of volitional behaviour. The features of environments that produced higher levels of volition included challenge, variability and competition. The overall volitional scores of children with cerebral palsy in the current study indicate that VR play is a motivating activity and thus has potential as a successful intervention tool.

Control of breathing in man; insights from the ‘locked-in’ syndrome

Control of breathing was studied in a patient with a lesion in the ventral pons; no volitional behaviour, including voluntary breathing acts, was possible (locked-in syndrome, LIS). Spontaneous breathing via a tracheostomy maintained a normal P et CO 2 of 39–40 mmHg. Variability of ventilatory parameters awake was similar to that seen in five tracheostomized control subjects during stage IV sleep but much smaller than during resting wakefulness. Emotion associated with laughter caused disturbances of breathing. The ventilatory response to CO 2 was normal and was associated with ‘hunger for air’ when the P et CO 2 was 49–50 mmHg. Mechanical ventilation to reduce P et CO 2 by as little as 1 mmHg resulted in apnoea when the ventilator was disconnected; breathing resumed when P et CO 2 crossed the threshold of 39–40 mmHg. These results demonstrate the functional dependence of the human medullary respiratory oscillator on a threshold level of P co 2 in the absence of cortico-bulbar input, even during wakefulness. The absence of such input may explain the regularity of breathing.