Loneliness and preferences for palatable foods: The role of coping

Loneliness is an important public health issue with consequences for health-related outcomes. Health-related behaviors is a proposed explanatory pathway. There is some evidence that loneliness influences eating behaviors, although the reasons for this have not been fully examined. In addition, how eating behaviors are conceptualised and the subsequent findings are often inconsistent. Across two studies, we aimed to address these issues by investigating whether loneliness is associated with preferences for palatable over healthy foods, and two possible explanatory pathways: negative affect and using palatable foods as a coping strategy. Study 1 (N = 361) used a within-subjects design to test whether chronic loneliness influenced palatable food preferences in a healthy versus palatable food choice task, and if negative affect and using palatable food to cope explained this preference. Study 2 (N = 163) aimed to replicate the dispositional-correlational associations from Study 1 and experimentally test whether situational loneliness influenced food preferences. In Study 1, the indirect effects of chronic loneliness on preferences for palatable foods was significant for coping motives, ab = 0.0923, SE = 0.0324, 95% CI = [0.0417, 0.1732], but not for negative affect, ab = 0.0035, SE = 0.0486, 95% CI = [-0.0928, 0.0986]. Findings from Study 2 mirrored those from Study 1 with significant indirect effects of loneliness on preferences for palatable foods through coping motives, ab = 0.1831, SE = 0.1027, 95% CI = [0.0338, 0.4680], but not depressive symptoms, ab = -0.1046, SE = 0.2438, 95% CI = [-0.5576, 0.4092]. The loneliness manipulation did not increase state loneliness. Together these findings make important and novel contributions to our understanding of the strategies that lonely people use to cope with the distress they experience, and further highlights susceptibility to eating palatable foods as a potential behavioral pathway linking loneliness to poor health outcomes

Procrastination and Health in Nurses: Investigating the Roles of Stress, Health Behaviours and Social Support

Objectives: Evidence linking chronic procrastination to a range of poor health outcomes and trajectories continues to build. Yet, much of this research has been conducted in academic contexts or in non-student samples. Despite theory indicating that high-stress contexts increase vulnerability for procrastination, the pathways linking chronic procrastination to health outcomes proposed by the procrastination–health model have not been examined in a high stress environment. Accordingly, we tested the contribution of procrastination to health in nurses and whether social support was a protective factor. Design: Pre-registered cross-sectional study using a random sample of nurses recruited from the membership of a regional nursing association, supplemented by nurses and nurse trainees recruited from online nursing associations, conferences and forums. Methods: Nurses and nurse trainees (N = 597) completed measures of chronic procrastination, stress, health behaviours, social support and self-rated health. Results: Chronic procrastination was associated with perceived stress, health behaviours, self-rated health and social support in the expected directions. Consistent with the procrastination–health model, structural equation modelling revealed significant indirect effects linking chronic procrastination to poor self-rated health through higher stress and fewer health behaviours. Contrary to our hypotheses, social support did not moderate these pathways. Conclusions: This study is the first to demonstrate the relevance of procrastination for health in high-stress, non-academic contexts and to find support for both the stress and behavioural pathways linking procrastination to poor health outcomes. Findings further highlight the importance of addressing chronic procrastination as a vulnerability factor for poor health in nurses

Does psychoeducation help people to respond to goal lapses with self-compassion?

Despite research indicating that responding with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit can help people to achieve their goals, there is evidence that people often struggle to respond with self-compassion when it would benefit them. One reason is that people may not be familiar with the concept of self-compassion or may think negatively of self-compassion. We propose that providing information about self-compassion and its benefits can help people to respond with self-compassion to lapses in goal pursuit. To test this, we randomly assigned participants to a self-compassion psychoeducation condition or control condition and then tested whether they responded with self-compassion to a recalled lapse. The results suggested that, although psychoeducation seemed to influence participants’ beliefs about self-compassion, there was no evidence that psychoeducation increased self-compassionate responding. This finding highlights the need to develop additional strategies to help people to translate knowledge about self-compassion into self-compassionate responses to lapses and difficulties

AC-feasible Local Flexibility Market with Continuous Trading

This paper proposes a novel continuous Local Flexibility Market where active power flexibility located in the distribution system can be traded. The market design engages the Market Operator, the Distribution System Operator and Market Participants with dispatchable assets. The proposed market operates in a single distribution system and considers network constraints via AC network sensitivities, calculated at an initial network operating point. Trading is possible when AC network constraints are respected and when anticipated network violations are alleviated or resolved. The implementation allows for partial bid matching and is computationally light, therefore, suitable for continuous trading applications. The proposed design is thoroughly described and is demonstrated in a test distribution system. It is shown that active power trading in the proposed market design can lead to resolution of line overloads.Comment: In proceedings of the 11th Bulk Power Systems Dynamics and Control Symposium (IREP 2022), July 25-30, 2022, Banff, Canad

Day-ahead allocation of operation reserve in composite power systems with large-scale centralized wind farms

This paper focuses on the day-ahead allocation of operation reserve considering wind power prediction error and network transmission constraints in a composite power system. A two-level model that solves the allocation problem is presented. The upper model allocates operation reserve among subsystems from the economic point of view. In the upper model, transmission constraints of tielines are formulated to represent limited reserve support from the neighboring system due to wind power fluctuation. The lower model evaluates the system on the reserve schedule from the reliability point of view. In the lower model, the reliability evaluation of composite power system is performed by using Monte Carlo simulation in a multi-area system. Wind power prediction errors and tieline constraints are incorporated. The reserve requirements in the upper model are iteratively adjusted by the resulting reliability indices from the lower model. Thus, the reserve allocation is gradually optimized until the system achieves the balance between reliability and economy. A modified two-area reliability test system (RTS) is analyzed to demonstrate the validity of the method.This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51277141) and National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program) (No. 2011AA05A103)

A Prologue to Nostalgia: Savoring Creates Nostalgic Memories that Foster Optimism

How are nostalgic memories created? We considered savoring as one process involved in the genesis of nostalgia. Whereas nostalgia refers to an emotional reflection upon past experiences, savoring is a process in which individuals deeply attend to and consciously capture a present experience for subsequent reflection. Thus, having savored an experience may increase the likelihood that it will later be reflected upon nostalgically. Additionally, to examine how cognitive and emotional processes are linked across time, we tested whether nostalgia for a previously savored experience predicts optimism for the future. Retrospective reports of having savored a positive event were associated with greater nostalgia for the event (Study 1). Retrospective reports of savoring a time period (college) were associated with greater nostalgia for that time period when participants were in a setting (alumni reunion event) that prompted thoughts of the time period (Study 2). Savoring an experience predicted nostalgia for the experience 4-9 months later (Study 3). Additionally, nostalgia was associated with greater optimism (Studies 2-3). Thus, savoring provides a foundation for nostalgic memories and an ensuing optimism

Shedding new light on nostalgia: The origins, consequences and buffering capacity of nostalgia

Nostalgia, a sentimental longing for the past, has several psychological effects. For example, it increases self-continuity, meaning in life, and optimism. Nostalgia also buffers the adverse impact of psychological threats, such as death thoughts or the potential meaninglessness of life. In this thesis, I have expanded upon this existing nostalgia research in three keys ways. In my first empirical paper, I conducted three studies to investigate the, previously undocumented, link between nostalgia and spirituality. In Study 1, nostalgia was related to greater spirituality. In Study 2, nostalgia was again related to greater spirituality, and this relation remained significant after controlling for key demographics and core personality traits. In Study 3, nostalgia fostered spirituality via selfcontinuity and meaning in life serially. Taken together, nostalgia is associated with, and fosters, spirituality through its effect on self-continuity and meaning in life. In my second empirical paper, I investigated an additional psychological threat against which nostalgia may buffer: life uncertainty. Specifically, I examined whether nostalgia buffers the negative effect of life uncertainty on self-continuity. The findings revealed that life uncertainty reduced self-continuity, but only for participants low in nostalgia proneness, not those high in nostalgia proneness. Furthermore, life uncertainty reduced selfcontinuity, but only for those who recalled a recent autobiographical event, not those who recalled a nostalgic event. Thus, nostalgia buffers the negative effect of self-continuity on life uncertainty. In my third empirical paper, I investigated the origins of nostalgic memories in three studies. In particular, I examined whether savouring is implicated in the formation of nostalgic memories. I also examined whether nostalgia for a previously savoured experience predicts optimism for the future. In Study 1, retrospective reports of having savoured a specific event were associated with greater nostalgia for it. In Study 2, retrospective reports of savouring a time period were associated with greater nostalgia for that time period. In Study 3, savouring an experience predicted nostalgia for it 4-9 months later. Lastly, in Studies 2-3, nostalgia for a savoured experience was associated with greater optimism. In all, savouring provides a foundation for nostalgic memories and an ensuing optimism

Nostalgia: an impactful social emotion

Nostalgia (a sentimental longing for one's past) is a highly social emotion. We provide an evidence-based argument that nostalgia's sociality is one of its most defining and impactful characteristics. First, we review evidence that has established the highly social content of nostalgic reflection. Second, we summarize research that has demonstrated nostalgia's capacity to provide a sense of connectedness with others, and that this social connectedness, in turn, conveys intrapersonal psychological benefits (i.e., meaning in life, self-continuity, optimism, inspiration). Third, we outline research that has documented the interpersonal consequences of nostalgia (e.g., greater physical closeness, strengthened relational goals, increased help seeking, intensified empathy, elevated prosocial behavior). Finally, we call for applied research to investigate how the social character of nostalgia can be harnessed to improve people's social lives