Reducing prejudice through self-affirmation

Research suggests that self-affirmation can reduce threat in a multitude of domains (e.g., stereotype threat). Given the capacity for self-affirmation to reduce threats to the self of various types, the current work examined the capacity for self-affirmation to reduce outgroup prejudice. Outgroup prejudice toward groups that have traditionally been stigmatized in the U.S. (i.e., Muslims, Atheists, African Americans) were explored. Mediating mechanisms (self-compassion, intergroup anxiety) and moderating mechanisms (collective self-esteem) were also examined. In Studies 1 and 2, it was predicted that as compared to a control condition, participants that engaged in a self affirmation condition would show less prejudice and more positive outgroup attitudes, on measures of outgroup attitudes and job candidate evaluation ratings. In Study 2, a candidate condition had participants review either an African or White American job candidate for a job, and the interactive effects with this candidate condition and self affirmation were examined. Under some circumstances, self-affirmation led to higher ratings of outgroup attitudes and lower levels of prejudice. Specifically, significant and marginal main and interactive effects of self-affirmation and candidate condition were found. Including covariates led to relationships that emerged as marginal or significant for self-affirmation or its interaction with candidate conditions. Covariates (i.e., political ideology, religion, motivation to control prejudice) were also marginal or significant predictors of the majority of the outcomes. Finally, significant effects of counterbalancing influenced some of the outcomes and intergroup anxiety, and interacted with candidate on some of the outcomes. Taken together, the results of the current studies suggest that self-affirmation can indeed improve attitudes among religious and racial outgroup members in the United States. However, other demographic and individual difference variables influenced this effect. Examining conditions to reduce prejudice are important, because understanding ways of reducing prejudice will help foster harmony between members of different social groups.Includes bibliographical reference

Alternative mechanisms of structuring biomembranes: Self-assembly vs. self-organization

We study two mechanisms for the formation of protein patterns near membranes of living cells by mathematical modelling. Self-assembly of protein domains by electrostatic lipid-protein interactions is contrasted with self-organization due to a nonequilibrium biochemical reaction cycle of proteins near the membrane. While both processes lead eventually to quite similar patterns, their evolution occurs on very different length and time scales. Self-assembly produces periodic protein patterns on a spatial scale below 0.1 micron in a few seconds followed by extremely slow coarsening, whereas self-organization results in a pattern wavelength comparable to the typical cell size of 100 micron within a few minutes suggesting different biological functions for the two processes.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Post-transcriptional regulation of satellite cell quiescence by TTP-mediated mRNA decay.

Skeletal muscle satellite cells in their niche are quiescent and upon muscle injury, exit quiescence, proliferate to repair muscle tissue, and self-renew to replenish the satellite cell population. To understand the mechanisms involved in maintaining satellite cell quiescence, we identified gene transcripts that were differentially expressed during satellite cell activation following muscle injury. Transcripts encoding RNA binding proteins were among the most significantly changed and included the mRNA decay factor Tristetraprolin. Tristetraprolin promotes the decay of MyoD mRNA, which encodes a transcriptional regulator of myogenic commitment, via binding to the MyoD mRNA 3' untranslated region. Upon satellite cell activation, p38α/β MAPK phosphorylates MAPKAP2 and inactivates Tristetraprolin, stabilizing MyoD mRNA. Satellite cell specific knockdown of Tristetraprolin precociously activates satellite cells in vivo, enabling MyoD accumulation, differentiation and cell fusion into myofibers. Regulation of mRNAs by Tristetraprolin appears to function as one of several critical post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms controlling satellite cell homeostasis

Changes in Health-Related Fitness of College Females During a One-Semester Activity Course

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Can mindfulness meditation reduce the tendency to justify the status quo?

System justification theory suggests that advantaged groups in society frequently express ingroup favoritism and outgroup bias, whereas disadvantaged groups express outgroup favoritism. These tendencies are likely to occur when individuals are motivated to perceive the system as legitimate. This motivation is driven by uncertainty regarding unstable systems. Mindfulness practices emphasize open acceptance and awareness of thoughts and experiences. Participation in mindfulness can engender, among other things, greater acceptance of outgroup members. The current study examined whether mindfulcompassion practice reduced system justification, and whether system threat undermined this influence. Unexpectedly, the results suggest that mindful-compassion lead to more favorable intergroup attitudes under high system threat (i.e., lower race-system justification, lower negative attitudes, and higher othergroup orientation). In addition, interactions for negative racial attitudes and othergroup orientation were qualified by internal motivation to control prejudice. This study was the first to experimentally test them impact of mindfulness on system justification. In addition, it is the first to examine empirically whether compassion meditation is associated with assessments of unjust social systems and attitudes toward ethnic outgroup members, and the extent to which system threat undermines this effect. Key words: mindfulness, compassion meditation, system justification, system threat, intergroup relations, outgroup attitude