scholarly journals Context-Specific Arousal During Resting in Wolves and Dogs: Effects of Domestication?

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hillary Jean-Joseph ◽  
Kim Kortekaas ◽  
Friederike Range ◽  
Kurt Kotrschal

Due to domestication, dogs differ from wolves in the way they respond to their environment, including to humans. Selection for tameness and the associated changes to the autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation have been proposed as the primary mechanisms of domestication. To test this idea, we compared two low-arousal states in equally raised and kept wolves and dogs: resting, a state close to being asleep, and inactive wakefulness, which together take up an important part in the time budgets of wolves and dogs. We measured arousal via cardiac output in three conditions: alone, with a familiar human partner, or with pack members (i.e., conspecifics). Specifically, we compared heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) of six wolves and seven dogs. As patterns of resting can vary adaptively, even between closely related species, we predicted that dogs would be generally more aroused than wolves, because living with humans may come with less predictable contexts than living with conspecifics; hence, dogs would need to be responsive at all times. Furthermore, we predicted that due to the effects of domestication, emotional social support by familiar people would reduce arousal more in dogs than in equally human-socialized wolves, leading to more relaxed dogs than wolves when away from the pack. Overall, we found a clear effect of the interactions between species (i.e., wolf versus dog), arousal state (i.e., resting or awake inactive) and test conditions, on both HR and HRV. Wolves and dogs were more aroused when alone (i.e., higher HR and lower HRV) than when in the presence of conspecifics or a familiar human partner. Dogs were more relaxed than wolves when at rest and close to a familiar human but this difference disappeared when awake. In conclusion, instead of the expected distinct overall differences between wolves and dogs in ANS regulation, we rather found subtle context-specific responses, suggesting that such details are important in understanding the domestication process.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryszard Poprawa ◽  
Bianka Lewandowska ◽  
Marta Rokosz ◽  
Katarzyna Tabiś ◽  
Maciej Barański

Background: The global epidemic of SARS-CoV-2 caused various deprivations and threats and forced the implementation of drastic restrictions in the whole world, including Poland. Objectives: Recognizing the consequences of the epidemic in the context of basic psychological needs satisfaction and frustration, the level of experienced stress, and the use of coping strategies.Design: The results of the pre-epidemic group (N = 626; aged 18 - 40) were compared with the results of the epidemic group (N = 282; aged 17 - 44). The following tests were used; BPNS&FS (Chen et al., 2015), PSS (Cohen et al., 1983), and COPE (Carver et al., 1989).Results: Women from the epidemic group reported higher levels of stress, lower satisfaction and higher frustration of autonomy and competence than the control group. Men from the epidemic group differed from the control group only by a higher frustration of autonomy. We found significant differences in coping strategy preference. The epidemic group was characterized by the following strategies: acceptance, mental disengagement, restraint, positive reinterpretation and growth, use of emotional social support, and use of humor.Conclusions: The results are consistent with previously documented reactions to uncontrolled and critical stressors and indicate the adaptability of undertaken coping efforts.


2021 ◽  
pp. 019394592110289
Author(s):  
Madison P. Goodyke ◽  
Patricia E. Hershberger ◽  
Ulf G. Bronas ◽  
Susan L. Dunn

The purpose of this integrative review is to explore and synthesize literature about the relationship between perceived social support and cardiac vagal modulation, measured by heart rate variability (HRV), during phases of an acute stress response to assess this potential relationship underlying the stress-buffering effects of perceived social support. A systematic search of seven databases was conducted, including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Embase, ProQuest, medRxiv, and clinicaltrials.gov. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria and were systematically synthesized. A quality appraisal was completed for each included study. Majority of studies focused on time and frequency domain measures of HRV thought to reflect parasympathetic modulation of heart rate and identified them as positively associated with perceived social support during rest, stress induction, and recovery from an acute stressor. Results highlight the importance for nurses and other health care professionals to assess patients’ perceived social support, as increased perceived social support may contribute to an adaptive stress response.


Circulation ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 125 (suppl_10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiarri N Kershaw ◽  
Arlene L Hankinson ◽  
Mercedes R Carnethon

Background: Chronic stress associated with living in poverty may lead to higher levels of adiposity due to the adoption of obesity-promoting stress coping behaviors. Social support may provide an alternative means of coping with stress, but very few studies have investigated whether high levels of social support can mitigate the adverse impact of poverty on adiposity. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that social support modified the association between poverty and BMI whereby the association of poverty with BMI was weaker among adults who reported higher social support. Methods: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2005–2008) participants ages 40+ (n=5,768) responded to questions about availability and adequacy of emotional social support (adequate, inadequate, and none) and about availability of financial support (yes/no). Poverty was defined as a poverty:income ratio ≤ 1.3. BMI (kg/m 2 ) was calculated from measured height and weight. Sex-stratified multivariable linear regression with interaction terms for poverty and each measure of social support were used to test for effect measure modification in the relationships between poverty and BMI. Associations of each measure of social support with BMI were modeled separately. Results: Approximately 74.7% of women and 78.3% of men reported adequate emotional support. Available financial support was reported by 80.3% of women and 73.6% of men. Among women, higher poverty was related to higher mean BMI (beta=0.96; SE=0.32). Women who reported adequate emotional support had lower BMI than those who reported inadequate support (beta= −0.83; SE=0.35). Those who reported no available emotional support also had marginally lower mean BMI than women who reported inadequate support (beta= −1.27; SE=0.65; P =0.06). Women who reported having available financial support had lower BMI than those who reported no financial support (beta= −0.97; SE=0.40). There were no significant social support*poverty interactions. The relationship between poverty and BMI was similar in magnitude across levels of emotional support. Poverty was related to higher mean BMI for women who reported available financial support (beta=1.14; SE=0.45) but there was no difference in BMI among those who reported none (beta=0.02; SE=0.54). Neither measure of support was associated with BMI among men. Conclusions: Inadequate emotional support was associated with higher mean BMI in women than those who reported adequate support and those who reported no support. Lack of financial support was also associated with higher mean BMI in women. High social support did not offset the impact of poverty on BMI among women, suggesting social support may not be a sufficient strategy for coping with the stress of poverty.


Author(s):  
Simone Márcia da Silva ◽  
Natalia Fernanda Braido ◽  
Ana Carolina Ottaviani ◽  
Gabriela Dutra Gesualdo ◽  
Marisa Silvana Zazzetta ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate the instrumental and emotional social support of patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis. Method: descriptive cross-sectional study. The sample was sized for convenience and included 103 participants under treatment in a Renal Replacement Therapy Unit. Data were collected through individual interviews, using the Social Support Scale. Results: the mean scores of the emotional and instrumental social support were 3.92 (± 0.78) and 3.81 (± 0.69) respectively, an indication of good support received. The most frequent sources of instrumental and emotional social support mentioned by participants were partners, spouse, companion or boyfriend and friends. Conclusion: patients with chronic kidney disease have high social support, both instrumental and emotional, and the main support comes from the family.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Sparacio ◽  
Ivan Ropovik ◽  
Gabriela M. Jiga-Boy ◽  
Hans IJzerman

This meta-analysis explored whether being in nature and emotional social support are effective in reducing levels of stress through a Registered Report. We retrieved all the relevant articles that investigated a connection between one of these two strategies and various components of stress (physiological, affective and cognitive) as well as affective consequences of stress. We followed a stringent analysis workflow (including permutation-based selection models and multilevel regression-based models) to provide publication bias-corrected estimates. We found [no evidence for the efficacy of either strategy/evidence for one of the two strategies/evidence for both strategies] with an estimated mean effect size of [xx/xx] and we recommend [recommendation will be provided if necessary].


2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayna M. Dave ◽  
Alexandra E. Evans ◽  
Marge D. Condrasky ◽  
Joel E. Williams

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 141 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anish Shah ◽  
Alvaro Alonso ◽  
Eric A Whitsel ◽  
Elsayed Z SOLIMAN ◽  
Viola Vaccarino ◽  
...  

Introduction: Psychosocial factors are associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, but our understanding of causal mechanisms is limited. Understanding such mechanisms may help formulate prevention strategies. We therefore sought to evaluate potential physiologic effects of psychosocial factors by studying their associations with heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of autonomic function, in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Hypothesis: Higher psychosocial stress levels are associated with lower HRV cross-sectionally in a diverse community sample. Methods: We included ARIC cohort participants with information on psychosocial factors in 1990-1992 into our analysis. Psychosocial factors were assessed using validated instruments, including: 1) vital exhaustion, a somatic manifestation of chronic stress and depression, 2) anger proneness, a personality trait, and 3) perceived social support, a potential buffering factor for stress. Short-term time and frequency domain HRV were measured from a two-minute electrocardiographic recording in 1987-1989. Linear regression models adjusted for sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors. Results: We included 9,332 participants (mean age 54.4 ± 5.7 years, 55% women, and 25% black) in the analysis. Only vital exhaustion was consistently associated with HRV, as per the table, which shows the change in ln(HRV) per point increase in score. Compared to the lowest quartile, the highest quartile of vital exhaustion was associated with a 13.3% (95% CI, 3.9% - 21.3%) decrease in low frequency HRV in adjusted models. By comparison, each year of added age was associated with a 3.7% (95% CI, 3.1% to 4.2%) decrease in LF HRV. Conclusion: A high level of vital exhaustion was associated with low HRV, while anger proneness and social support were not. The inverse vital exhaustion-HRV association raises concern regarding the somatic manifestations of stress, a potential target for preventive interventions.


Crop Science ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Smallwood ◽  
Arnold M. Saxton ◽  
Jason D. Gillman ◽  
Hem S. Bhandari ◽  
Phillip A. Wadl ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Freeman ◽  
Pete Coffee ◽  
Tjerk Moll ◽  
Tim Rees ◽  
Nadine Sammy

To address calls for context-specific measurement of social support, this article reports the development of the Athletes’ Received Support Questionnaire (ARSQ) and demonstrates initial evidence for its validity. Across four studies there was support for a four-dimensional structure reflecting emotional, esteem, informational, and tangible received support. There was also support for unidimensional and higher-order models. Further, Study 3 provided some support for convergent validity, with significant correlations between the corresponding dimensions of the ARSQ and the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors. Study 4 provided evidence for the nomological validity of the ARSQ. Emotional and esteem support significantly predicted self-confidence and positive affect, and tangible support significantly moderated the relationship between stress and negative affect. Collectively, these results provide initial evidence for the validity of the ARSQ, and offer researchers flexibility to adopt either a multidimensional or aggregated approach to measuring received support.


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