Did You Enjoy It? The Role of Intensity-Trait Preference/Tolerance in Basic Psychological Needs and Exercise Enjoyment

Promoting exercise regimens that aim at enhancing the quality of individuals’ subjective exercise experience can be challenging. Given the recent theoretical contributions regarding the possible interaction of exercise intensity-traits and several motivational variables, as well as their potential value for exercise adherence, the objective of this study was to examine the mediation role of basic psychological needs in the relationship between preference for and tolerance of exercise intensity and enjoyment. This cross-sectional study comprised a total of 160 exercisers (Mage = 34.12, SD = 9.23, 73 males) enrolled in several health clubs. All analyses were performed using SPSS v. 23.0/PROCESS v. 3.4. The results indicate that intensity-traits presented positive associations with enjoyment, and negative associations with all of needs frustration variables. A mediation role of needs frustration emerged in the intensity-traits and enjoyment associations that was analyzed according to relatable theoretical considerations.

On the Emergence of Intersexual Selection: Arbitrary Trait Preference Improves Female-Male Coevolution

Sexual selection is a fundamental aspect of evolution for all eukaryotic organisms with mating types. This article suggests intersexual selection is best viewed as a mechanism with which to compensate for the unavoidable dynamics of coevolution between sexes that emerge with isogamy. Using the NKCS model it is shown by varying fitness landscape size, ruggedness, and connectedness, how a purely arbitrary trait preference sexual selection mechanism proves beneficial with high dependence between the sexes. This is found to be the case whether one or both sexes exploit such intersexual selection.

Preference traits for Bunaji cattle of nomads along Benue trough in Central Nigeria

A cross sectional study was conducted along Benue trough cutting across two states of Benue and Nasarawa in north-central Nigeria, among Fulani pastoralist, agro-pastoralist and transhumant nomads to determine preference traits in their breeding cows and bulls. One hundred and sixty five Bunaji cattle herd farmers were considered in the study which was carried out in two seasons (dry and rainy seasons). The respondents were pastoralist (26.1%), agro-pastoralist (37.4%) and transhumant nomads (36.5%). Seven specific traits were used for ranking breeding cows and five for breeding bulls. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to determine mean ranks of traits. Preferential traits for breeding bulls were in the order; body conformation 1.46, temperament 2.01, disease resistant 2.46, walkability 2.89 and horn 3.84. While for breeding cows were milk yield 1.62, reproductive efficiency 1.92, body size 2.23, temperament 3.48, fat/butter content 4.28, disease resistant 4.71 and mothering ability 5.63. There were no significant variations on traits preference for breeding cow between the agro pastoralist/transhumant and pastoralist nomads except for fat/butter content which had more value to the pastoralist nomad. Similarly for the breeding bulls which had disease resistance having higher values to the pastoralist nomads. It was concluded that trait preference in breeding bulls and cows was not influenced (p>0.05) by production system. The information generated from this study can help assure that Bunaji breed improvement interventions are consistent with the needs of the intended beneficiaries.

The problem of measuring trait-preference correlations without disrupting them

A key element at the heart of the Fisher–Lande–Kirkpatrick model of the sexual selection process is the genetic correlation between (male) trait and (female) preference. The strength of this association is critical in determining a population’s evolutionary trajectory, which is why estimating its magnitude is so important. In the Lande model, the trait-preference correlation is solely established and maintained by mate choice, and although it is unclear how exclusively mate choice does this in nature, the experimental designs typically employed to measure trait-preference genetic correlations could be systematically weakening estimates by not allowing free mate choice (similarly with husbandry practices). The precise impact of the problem is unknown, and possibly unknowable, but simple solutions can be applied to ensure the accuracy of trait-preference correlation estimates is maximized.

Routines and Meaning in Life

Previous research links the experience of meaning in life (MIL) with environmental structure and the coherence of external stimuli. The current studies directly test the association between one source of structure in everyday life—routines—and MIL. First, Study 1 ( N = 317) found a positive relationship between trait preference for routine and MIL. Study 2 expanded upon this cross-sectional finding with experience sampling data ( N = 85; 2,590 episodes) showing that the degree to which current, naturally occurring, behavior followed a typical routine positively related to participants’ momentary feelings of MIL. These findings have implications for conceptualizations of MIL, suggesting a previously unnoted, mundane, and ubiquitous source of MIL. The potential roles of boredom and novelty and individual and situational differences for these effects are discussed.