scholarly journals Animal Signals, Music and Emotional Well-Being

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2670
Author(s):  
Charles T. Snowdon
Keyword(s):  
Communication System ◽  
Animal Communication ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Appropriate Use ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Musical Structures ◽  
Human Care

Playing music or natural sounds to animals in human care is thought to have beneficial effects. An analysis of published papers on the use of human-based music with animals demonstrates a variety of different results even within the same species. These mixed results suggest the value of tailoring music to the sensory systems of the species involved and in selecting musical structures that are likely to produce the desired effects. I provide a conceptual framework based on the combined knowledge of the natural communication system of a species coupled with musical structures known to differentially influence emotional states, e.g., calming an agitated animal versus stimulating a lethargic animal. This new concept of animal-based music, which is based on understanding animal communication, will lead to more consistent and specific effects of music. Knowledge and appropriate use of animal-based music are important in future research and applications if we are to improve the well-being of animals that are dependent upon human care for their survival.

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of Psychological Workshops for Coaches on Well-Being and Psychomotor Performance of Children Practicing Football and Gymnastics

2021 ◽  
pp. 586-593
Author(s):  
Dominika Wilczyńska ◽  
Anna Łysak-Radomska ◽  
Magdalena Podczarska-Głowacka ◽  
Wojciech Skrobot ◽  
Katarzyna Krasowska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Psychomotor Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Specific Effects ◽  
Seven Principles ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
And Control

Coach workshops based on seven principles (inspiration, explanation, expectation, support, reward, appreciation, growth and winning) enhance the sport experience of adult athletes. Therefore, we have investigated the effects of such workshops with coaches of child athletes. Study participants were coaches of 57 9- to 12-year old girls (practicing gymnastics) and boys (practicing football). Three coaches of 28 children attended three workshops over 12 weeks, while a control group of 5 coaches of 29 children attended no workshops. Measures of well-being and psychomotor performance were taken on the children before and after the intervention; differences in mean changes between intervention and control groups were adjusted for baseline, standardized, and assessed with a conservative magnitude-based decision method. There were clear substantial effects of the workshop on motivation averaged across several dimensions (girls, large, most likely beneficial), on a decision test (boys, small-moderate, very likely beneficial), on state anxiety self-reflection (girls, moderate, likely harmful), and on reaction time (boys, small, possibly harmful). The beneficial effects of the workshop in this pilot study are encouraging, but the unclear and potentially harmful effects and the roles of presenter- and coach-specific effects need to be investigated further with a representative sample of coaches and more children before the workshop is recommended for implementation.

The effects of confronting one’s own end of life on older individuals and those with a life-threatening disease: A systematic literature review

2021 ◽  
pp. 026921632110425
Author(s):  
Helena Kukla ◽  
Angélique Herrler ◽  
Julia Strupp ◽  
Raymond Voltz
Keyword(s):  
End Of Life ◽  
Psychosocial Interventions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Clear Trend ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Life Threatening

Background: Awareness of the impending end of one’s life can pose profound existential challenges, thereby impairing well-being. Confronting one’s own end of life may be an approach to meet the psychological needs and consequently enhance overall well-being. Different approaches of confrontation have been evaluated positively using measures of psychosocial comfort. To date, there exists no systematic overview on the different ways of confrontation (e.g. psychosocial or individual coping approaches). Aim: To synthesize the existing knowledge on the effects of different approaches of confronting one’s own end of life on older individuals and those with a life-threatening disease. Design: A systematic review of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods full research reports was conducted. The retrieved studies were screened and appraised for methodological quality by two independent reviewers based on MMAT and CASP. The findings were synthesized narratively using the meta-summary technique by Sandelowski and Barroso. Data sources: Medline, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched from inception to 12/2020. Results: N = 49 studies reported on different approaches of confronting one’s own end of life, including psychosocial interventions, meaning-enhancing approaches, educational programs, and learning from lived experiences. The results suggest a clear trend toward beneficial effects on psychosocial comfort (e.g. anxiety, sense of meaning, well-being). Conclusion: Low-threshold opportunities of confrontation have the potential to improve well-being and should be emphasized in practical implementation. The results can serve as a comprehensive basis for future research aiming to investigate the determinants of psychosocial comfort for people nearing the end of life.

scholarly journals Three decades investigating humor and laughter: An interview with Professor Rod Martin

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 498-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rod Martin ◽  
Nicholas A. Kuiper
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Aspects ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Humor Styles ◽  
Research Focus ◽  
Sense Of Humor ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Main Components ◽  
The University

Since the start of the 21st century, the investigation of various psychological aspects of humor and laughter has become an increasingly prominent topic of research. This growth can be attributed, in no small part, to the pioneering and creative work on humor and laughter conducted by Professor Rod Martin. Dr. Martin’s research interests in humor and laughter began in the early 1980s and continued throughout his 32 year long career as a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Western Ontario. During this time, Dr. Martin published numerous scholarly articles, chapters, and books on psychological aspects of humor and laughter. Professor Martin has just retired in July 2016, and in the present interview he recounts a number of research highlights of his illustrious career. Dr. Martin’s earliest influential work, conducted while he was still in graduate school, stemmed from an individual difference perspective that focused on the beneficial effects of sense of humor on psychological well-being. This research focus remained evident in many of Professor Martin’s subsequent investigations, but became increasingly refined as he developed several measures of different components of sense of humor, including both adaptive and maladaptive humor styles. In this interview, Dr. Martin describes the conceptualization, development and use of the Humor Styles Questionnaire, along with suggestions for future research and development. In doing so, he also discusses the three main components of humor (i.e., cognitive, emotional and interpersonal), as well as the distinctions and similarities between humor and laughter. Further highlights of this interview include Professor Martin’s comments on such diverse issues as the genetic versus environmental loadings for sense of humor, the multifaceted nature of the construct of humor, and the possible limitations of teaching individuals to use humor in a beneficial manner to cope with stress and enhance their social and interpersonal relationships.

Positive and negative affect during the COVID-19 pandemic quarantine in Portugal

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eulalia Santos ◽  
Vanessa Ratten ◽  
Ana Diogo ◽  
Fernando Tavares
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Discriminant Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Positive And Negative Affect ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Two Factors

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly around the world and Portugal is no exception. Positive and negative effects are extremely important in individual's life experiences and in particular in the context of the quarantine, in which it is important to maintain the balance between favorable and unfavorable situations. The purpose of this paper is to study in depth the intensity of the affect during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal and to validate a scale of positive and negative affect in the context of quarantine and confinement. Design/methodology/approach The methodology used is of a quantitative nature, based on a questionnaire survey to measure the intensity of the affects and to analyze some sociodemographic variables. The sample consists of 726 individuals of age 18 years or older, who were in Portugal during the quarantine of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings The results show that respondents were concerned, anxious, well-disposed and impatient. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis applied to affects produced a latent structure with two factors: negative affect and positive affect. The affect scale has adequate convergent and discriminant validity and good internal consistency, with negative affect being experienced by individuals with greater intensity compared to positive affect. Originality/value It is hoped that this study contributes to an increase in the scientific knowledge in the field of the affects in the context of delicate situations such as the pandemic COVID-19 so that health professionals can intervene to improve individual’s well-being. This is an important way to provide better health policy that considers in more depth individual wellbeing and emotions during times of crisis. Limitations and suggestions for future research are also stated that highlight the importance of understanding emotional states of individuals during crisis events.

scholarly journals In the Eye of the Beholder: Challenge and Hindrance Appraisals of Work Characteristics and Their Implications for Employee’s Well-Being

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peikai Li ◽  
Maria C. W. Peeters ◽  
Toon W. Taris ◽  
Yejun Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Job Demands ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Job Characteristics ◽  
Job Resources ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Appraisal Theory ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Detrimental Impact

Previous research on the association between job characteristics and employee well-being has returned mixed results. In particular, the possible impact of individual appraisal of these job characteristics has not been well-acknowledged. To address this limitation, we drew on appraisal theory and examined: (a) how workers appraise particular job characteristics, and (b) how these appraisals affect the relationships between these job characteristics and well-being (i.e., work engagement and burnout). We tested our hypotheses across two studies. In a cross-occupation sample (Study 1, n = 514), we found that job demands and resources can be appraised as both challenges and hindrances. In addition, challenge appraisals can mitigate the detrimental impact of job demands on engagement and burnout; and hindrance appraisals can strengthen the detrimental effects of job demands on burnout. Further, hindrance appraisals of job resources reduce their beneficial effects on engagement and burnout. Study 2 (n = 316 nurses in a hospital) further showed that challenge appraisals of job demands can reduce their impact on burnout while challenge appraisals of job resources will strengthen their positive effect on employee engagement and burnout. We discuss study implications as well as future research directions.

Relating mindfulness to financial well-being through materialism: evidence from India

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nishit Kumar Sinha ◽  
Pankaj Kumar ◽  
Pushpendra Priyadarshi
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Dispositional Mindfulness ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Mindfulness Practices ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and financial well-being (FWB) and the mediating role of materialism on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual framework is provided to support the research hypotheses. A survey with 311 working professionals from India allowed the hypothesized relationship to be tested through regression-based models.FindingsThe findings reveal that the three dimensions of FWB – financial anxiety, current money management stress and perceived financial security – are predicted by mindfulness and materialism even after controlling for several demographic variables. Materialism mediates the relationship between mindfulness and FWB.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are subject to the usual cautions associated with self-reported cross-sectional data. Future research may incorporate mindfulness interventions to establish causal relationships.Practical implicationsThe study provides theoretical guidance to the policymakers and the financial institutions, including banks, which may focus on malleable factors beyond merely income to enhance FWB. Mindfulness is not only a trait but also could be cultivated by various physical and online-based mindfulness practices. Banks may integrate tools promoting mindfulness within their interactive web framework in order to stimulate customers' control over their daily spending through enhancing mindful awareness of present financial actions and their impact on the financial future. Thus, organizations may institutionalize such programs within their framework to help their employees cultivate greater FWB. Mindfulness promotes less anxiety related to financial decisions, which may develop customers' value as well as business opportunities for banks.Originality/valueUnlike other FWB dispositional antecedents, which become relatively stable at the formative stage, mindfulness levels can be enhanced in different age-groups. To our knowledge, this is the first study to empirically establish that mindfulness exerts its beneficial effects on FWB directly, and, through reducing materialistic motives.

scholarly journals Instrumental and Hedonic Motives for Emotion Regulation in Musical Practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerard Breaden Madden ◽  
Hans-Christian Jabusch
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Goal Orientation ◽  
Music Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Musical Practice ◽  
Emotion Beliefs ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Hedonic Benefits

Emotion regulation literature often emphasizes that individuals regulate their emotions for hedonic reasons. However, there is increasing support for an instrumental approach to emotion regulation. This approach suggests that emotions are regulated if they are believed to be beneficial to the pursuit of personally relevant goals. When pursuing a long-term goal, an individual may forego immediate, hedonic emotional reward in order to maximize the instrumental benefits of emotions. The current study investigates emotion regulation behaviour in the context of musical practice. We examine whether musicians adopt specific, regulated emotional stances which support their goal orientation, and which are in line with their beliefs regarding the functional impact of emotions. Via an online questionnaire, 421 musicians reported their goal-orientation, meta-emotion beliefs, and affect-regulation strategies. Participants then completed a scale assessing specific emotions they would regulate in order to support their musical practice. Data were analysed using PCA, MANOVA, subgroup analysis and categorical regression. Musicians reported using affect-improvement strategies more often than affect-worsening strategies in order to influence how they felt during musical practice. Greater reported use of affect-worsening strategies was associated with stronger meta-emotion beliefs supporting the possible instrumental benefits of unpleasant emotions (F = 30.33; p < 0.01; ηp2 = 0.06). Musicians who strongly endorsed this belief more strongly pursued mastery goals in contrast to enjoyment goals. In terms of specific targeted emotions, musicians generally sought to reduce unpleasant emotions, and increase pleasant, energizing emotions in order to support their musical practice. However, a subgroup of mastery- rather than enjoyment-oriented musicians may seek a mixed emotional state, increasing anger and nervousness in conjunction with a number of pleasant emotions (Wilks λ1,420 = 14.42; p < 0.01; ηp2 = 0.50). Musicians who pursue expert musical skills may be motivated to experience emotions that combine the instrumental and hedonic benefits of emotions. Musicians who practice for enjoyment may prioritize emotions that maximize only the hedonic benefits. Future research should aim to identify the regulated emotional states that best support specific musical practice outcomes in an individual. It will also be important to understand on all levels, including music performance quality as well as health and well-being, the outcomes that may be associated with the use of affect-worsening strategies and unpleasant emotions. Research in this field may equip musicians with novel skills for better pursuit of their goals, and may help to maximize health and well-being in musical practice.

scholarly journals The Sex–Gender Effects in the Road to Tailored Botanicals

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1637 ◽  
Author(s):  
Campesi ◽  
Romani ◽  
Franconi
Keyword(s):  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Chemical Diversity ◽  
Gender Effects ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Critical Periods ◽  
The Road ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
On The Road

Phenols are a wide family of phytochemicals that are characterized by large chemical diversity and are considered to bioactive molecules of foods, beverages, and botanicals. Although they have a multitude of biological actions, their beneficial effects are rarely evidenced in clinical practice. This may occur due to the presence of numerous confounders, such as the modulation of phenol bioavailability, which can be regulated by microbiota, age, sex-gender. Sex-gender is an important determinant of health and well-being, and has an impact on environmental and occupational risks, access to health care, disease prevalence, and treatment outcomes. In addition, xenobiotic responses may be strongly influenced by sex-gender. This review describes how sex–gender differentially influences the activities of phenols also in some critical periods of women life such as pregnancy and lactation, considering also the sex of fetuses and infants. Thus, sex–gender is a variable that must be carefully considered and should be used to propose directions for future research on the road to tailored medicine and nutrition.

scholarly journals Gratitude’s place in second wave positive psychology

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilian Jans-Beken
Keyword(s):  
Positive Psychology ◽  
Meaning In Life ◽  
Good Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Conceptual Basis ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Bright Side ◽  
Second Wave

Second wave psychology (PP 2.0) aims at bringing out the best in individuals and societies in good and bad times, and it is based on four pillars: virtue, meaning, resilience, and well-being. In this essay, I want to explore how gratitude relates to these four pillars of PP 2.0 to establish whether gratitude has a place within PP 2.0. Gratitude is considered a virtue, important for living a good life. Also, gratitude is associated with greater resilience when faced with adversity in life, and a wealth of research points to the beneficial effects of gratitude on human well-being. Regarding meaning in life, the how and why of the connection with gratitude is still unclear. Future efforts to unravel the association between gratitude and meaning in life are warranted. This short exploration shows that gratitude has a place within the conceptual basis of PP 2.0 and it seems to bring out the best in individuals and, consequently in society as a whole. Future research into gratitude and the four pillars of PP 2.0 can establish the beneficial effects of gratitude on both the bright side as the dark side of human nature.

Assessment of health related issues in individuals’, couples’, and families’ daily life

2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 146-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meinrad Perrez ◽  
Michael Reicherts ◽  
Yves Hänggi ◽  
Andrea B. Horn ◽  
Gisela Michel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Lower Variability

Abstract. Most research in health psychology is based on retrospective self reports, which are distorted by recall biases and have low ecological validity. To overcome such limitations we developed computer assisted diary approaches to assess health related behaviours in individuals’, couples’ and families’ daily life. The event- and time-sampling-based instruments serve to assess appraisals of the current situation, feelings of physical discomfort, current emotional states, conflict and emotion regulation in daily life. They have proved sufficient reliability and validity in the context of individual, couple and family research with respect to issues like emotion regulation and health. As examples: Regarding symptom reporting curvilinear pattern of frequencies over the day could be identified by parents and adolescents; or psychological well-being is associated with lower variability in basic affect dimensions. In addition, we report on preventive studies to improve parental skills and enhance their empathic competences towards their baby, and towards their partner.

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