Dogs are more pessimistic if their owners use two or more aversive training methods

Domestic dogs are trained using a range of different methods, broadly categorised as reward based (positive reinforcement/negative punishment) and aversive based (positive punishment/negative reinforcement). Previous research has suggested associations between use of positive punishment-based techniques and undesired behaviours, but there is little research investigating the relative welfare consequences of these different approaches. This study used a judgement bias task to compare the underlying mood state of dogs whose owners reported using two or more positive punishment/negative reinforcement based techniques, with those trained using only positive reinforcement/negative punishment in a matched pair study design. Dogs were trained to discriminate between rewarded and unrewarded locations equidistant from a start box, and mean latencies recorded. Their subsequent latency to intermediate ‘ambiguous’ locations was recorded as an indication of whether these were perceived as likely to contain food or not. Dogs trained using aversive methods were slower to all ambiguous locations. This difference was significant for latency to the middle (Wilcoxon Z = − 2.380, P = 0.017), and near positive (Wilcoxon Z = − 2.447, P = 0.014) locations, suggesting that dogs trained using coercive methods may have a more negative mood state, and hence that there are welfare implications of training dogs using such methods.

Correlation Analysis of Mood State and Symptom Clusters in Patients With Stage-Ⅳ Lung Cancer During Immunotherapy

Purpose: To investigate the status of symptom clusters and mood states and analyze the correlation between them in patients with stage-IV lung cancer undergoing immunotherapy.Methods: Using a convenience sampling method, we selected 259 patients for analysis with stage-IV lung cancer who were admitted to the oncology department of a hospital for immunotherapy from February to December 2020. Three instruments were used: a general situation questionnaire, the Chinese version of the M. D. Anderson Symptom Inventory, and the Brief Profile of Mood State Short Form.Results: An exploratory factor analysis identified three main symptom clusters: the disturbance influence, general, and pain–fatigue related symptom clusters. The total score for mood state was (25.71 SD: ±8.32). The score of the depression dimension was the highest (3.30 ±1.85) in the negative mood state; the total score of mood state and the score of negative mood state at different latitudes were significantly positively correlated with the total score of symptom clusters (r = 0.420–0.529, p < 0.01).Conclusion: There are many symptom clusters in patients with lung cancer undergoing immunotherapy. The negative mood state is significant and changes along with changes in symptom clusters; moreover, there is high correlation between them. There should be more focus on the evaluation and management of symptom clusters of patients in nursing to improve the patients’ quality of life.

Association between the Psychological Effects of Viewing Forest Landscapes and Trait Anxiety Level

The aim of this study was to validate the psychological advantages of viewing forest landscapes. Moreover, the associations between trait anxiety levels and psychological responses were evaluated. A total of 650 university male students (age, 21.7 ± 1.6 years) viewed a scenery in a forested area and an urban area for 15 min. Furthermore, the Profile of Mood States questionnaire and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were employed for the assessment of the psychological responses and the level of trait anxiety, respectively, of the participants. Results showed that compared with viewing a city area, viewing forest areas increased positive mood state, such as vigor, and decreased negative mood states. Furthermore, trait anxiety level and changes in the psychological responses such as depression–dejection, fatigue, and confusion after viewing forest landscapes were significantly correlated. The participants with high anxiety levels had greater reduction in negative mood state, including confusion, than those with low anxiety levels. In conclusion, viewing forest landscapes induced psychological relaxation, which was more evident in individuals with high anxiety levels.

Heart Rate Variability as a Marker of Changes in Mood State in Daily Life by Photoplethysmography Technique

Introduction: The different mood states in our daily life can affect our mental and emotional health. The aim of our study was to explore photoplethysmography to record heart rate variability as a marker of changes in mood states in our daily life.Materials and Methods: Two groups of affective pictures categorized into positive and negative sets were shown to thirty subjects on two different consecutive days with simultaneously recording of heart rate variability for 5 minutes by photoplethysmography technique. Immediately after recording on each day, 0-9 self-assessment scale was used to assess the mood state of the subject after viewing the set of pictures.Results: Sympathetic domains of heart rate variability like low frequency (200.3 ±4.1 vs. 166.7 ±2.8, p<0.05), low- and high frequency ratio (1.45 ± 0.21 vs. 0.55 ± 0.07, p<0.05) and low frequency (55.8 ± 2.9 vs. 38.6 ± 2.8, p<0.05) significantly increased in negative mood state condition as compared to positive mood state condition. High frequency (157.9 ± 3.9 vs. 264.3 ± 5.3, p<0.05) and high frequency (44 ± 2.9 vs. 61.2 ±4.2, p< 0.05) significantly increased in positive mood state condition as compared to negative mood state condition. There was significant increase in heart rate (78 ± 2.99 vs. 73 ± 3.11, p<0.05) in negative mood state as compared to positive mood state.Conclusions: Increase in sympathetic activity during negative mood state and increase in parasympathetic activity during positive mood state measured by photoplethysmography technique validates this easy and noninvasive mental assessment tool to determine different mood states.

Increased Frustration Predicts the Experience of Time Slowing-Down: Evidence from an Experience Sampling Study

Recent experience sampling research supports the idea that our experience of time speeds up when we are happy and slows down when we feel sad. However, this research had only examined a single negative mood state namely, sadness. Here, I extend this research by testing whether the experience of time speeding-up and slowing down is associated with other thoughts and negative mood states. Thirty-nine participants aged from 18 to 29 completed an experience sampling procedure that lasted for five consecutive days. The experience sampling procedure included measures of time experience (passage of time judgements), mood, levels of activity and time orientation. Increased frustration predicted the experience of time slowing down more than sadness and increased activity, thinking about the future and to a lesser extent happiness, predicted time moving more quickly. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to laboratory-based studies of time perception.

Exploring the Role of Emotions and Moods in Decision Making: Study on the Use of Structured Decision Approach and Intuition

Emotions and moods can play a significant role in the decision making. The present paper contest this point by providing evidence on the two important approaches used in decision making that is structured decision approach and intuition. For this purpose data was gathered from 150 respondents in two different groups. Chi square test, independent sample t-test and logistic regression analysis were used to test the hypothesis. The results of the study reveal that individuals with positive and negative mood state vary significantly in their use of structured decision approach and intuition. The individuals with negative mood state are more likely to use all steps of structured decision approach as compared to the individuals in the positive mood state. The results of the study further reveal that the individual’s emotional state significantly predicted the use of structured approach and intuition in decision making.