Physical Activity, Boredom and Fear of COVID-19 Among Adolescents in Germany

BackgroundThe effectiveness of physical activity (PA) as an intervention against anxiety disorders and depression is undeniable in clinical psychology. Therefore, the question arose whether these effects also occur when a fear stimulus, like the COVID-19 pandemic, affects otherwise healthy adolescents. Boredom is closely linked to symptoms of fear and anxiety, but the connection between PA, boredom and fear is partly unclear.MethodsA cross-sectional online study was conducted that involved 122 students. Participants were 13–19 years old (Mage = 15.83, SD = 1.73). The survey was available online from April 27th to May 3rd, 2020. At this time, schools in Germany had already been closed for 6 weeks. A self-report questionnaire was used to measure physical activity, boredom, and fear of COVID-19. A multiple linear regression model was conducted.ResultsThe reported fear of COVID-19 significantly correlates with total PA, quantity of strenuous PA, and boredom. Furthermore, a significant regression equation was found. The variables boredom, PA, and age contribute significantly to predicting the fear of COVID-19 [R2 = 0.127, F(3,118) = 6.876, p < 0.000], among adolescents.ConclusionOur results indicate that there is an association between PA, boredom and the quarantine experience of adolescents. Students who were physically more active, especially with strenuous intensity, did not feel bored and showed less fear of COVID-19.

Spontaneously Produced Facial Expressions in Infants and Children

This chapter explores the question of whether infants and children produce prototypic emotional facial expressions in emotion-eliciting situations. Investigations of both infants and children are described. These include a natural observation study of a single infant during routine caregiving activities, a systematic experiment in which infants were presented with elicitors of fear and anger, a seminaturalistic experiment during which mothers and children discuss a topic of disagreement, and a study of children’s responses to a fear stimulus presented in the context of an Internet prank. Together these studies show that prototypic expressions are sometimes produced when it is unlikely that the corresponding emotion is experienced and often are not produced when the corresponding emotional experience seems likely. Overall findings suggest that the relationship between emotion and facial expression is more complex than portrayed within contemporary discrete emotion theories.

Stress, Peer Affiliation, and Transforming Growth Factor-β1 in Differentially Reared Primates

A bidirectional regulatory interaction between the central nervous system and the immune system is largely provided by cytokines and their specific receptors, which are expressed by cells of both systems. Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), produced by glial cells and lymphocytes and regulated by steroid hormones, is one such cytokine. In the current study, we examined the relationship between TGF-β1 and peer affiliation in bonnet macaques (Macaca radiata) either reared normally or exposed as infants to conditions in which their mothers faced fluctuating requirements for food procurement (variable foraging demand [VFD]). Rearing under VFD conditions has been previously shown to produce dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in these animals. Serum levels of TGF-β1 after exposure to a moderate stressor had no correlation with peer affiliation under baseline conditions (r=.07), but were highly correlated with affiliation after subsequent challenge with a fear stimulus (r=.62). Affiliation after the fear stimulus also was inversely correlated with baseline levels of affiliation (r=−.71). These data suggest that changes in peripheral TGF-β1 may be reflective of latent behavioral and biochemical propensities possibly related to affect. Further examination of the effects of early adversity will improve our understanding of the relationship between the HPA axis and immune function.