Can Emotional Support Be Paid Forward with Charitable Donations?

Paying it forward refers to the tendency for people who receive help from one person to help others in general later. Past research shows that instrumental support, which provides tangible benefits, can lead to paying it forward because of gratitude. However, there are different types of support. We tested whether receiving emotional support, which communicates caring towards a person, increases the likelihood of paying it forward. We also tested whether receiving support in certain contexts could affect paying it forward. Because previous research has linked high compassionate goals with providing social support, we also hypothesized that compassionate goals might moderate this effect. Participants completed measures of compassionate goals. Afterwards, participants completed a stressful or non-stressful task, and either received or did not receive emotional support. Finally, we provided participants with the opportunity to donate as a measure of paying it forward. Analyses revealed that regardless of the stressfulness of the task, participants felt more gratitude when they received support. However, there was no effect of support or stress on donations. Furthermore, compassionate goals did not moderate this relationship. We discuss possible reasons for null findings and their implications.Research Scholars AwardNo embargoAcademic Major: Psycholog

Diffusion fundamentals

A selection of papers presented at the 11th International Conference on Diffusion in Materials (DIMAT), July 4-9, 2021, Debrecen, Hungar

Diffusion fundamentals

Scope of the conference: As a ubiquitous process of random movement, ranging from molecular up to macroscopic and even cosmic scales, diffusion is key to spreading phenomena in quite diverse areas. Bringing together scientists from disciplines as different as archaeology, ecology, epidemics, ethnology, linguistics and sociology with biologists, chemists, physicists, mathematicians and engineers, Diffusion Fundamentals VI is scheduled to highlight the astonishingly similar patterns of spreading phenomena in Humanities, Natural Sciences and Engineering

Diffusion fundamentals

A selection of papers presented at the 10th International Bologna Conference Magnetic Resonance in Porous Media (MRPM 10), September 2010, Leipzig, German

Diffusion fundamentals

Contains late and extended abstracts and papers submitted to the Diffusion Fundamentals II conference, L\''Aquila 200

Diffusion fundamentals

Scope of the conference: As a ubiquitous process of random movement, ranging from molecular up to macroscopic and even cosmic scales, diffusion is key to spreading phenomena in quite diverse areas. Bringing together scientists from disciplines as different as archaeology, ecology, epidemics, ethnology, linguistics and sociology with biologists, chemists, physicists, mathematicians and engineers, Diffusion Fundamentals VI is scheduled to highlight the astonishingly similar patterns of spreading phenomena in Humanities, Natural Sciences and Engineering

The Effects of Tgf-beta1 and Igf-i on the Biomechanics and Cytoskeleton of Single Chondrocytes

Objective Ascertaining how mechanical forces and growth factors mediate normal and pathologic processes in single chondrocytes can aid in developing strategies for the repair and replacement of articular cartilage destroyed by injury or disease. This study examined effects of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) on the biomechanics and cytoskeleton of single zonal chondrocytes. Method Superficial and middle/deep bovine articular chondrocytes were seeded on tissue culture treated plastic for 3 and 18 h and treated with TGF-β1 (5 ng/mL), IGF-I (100 ng/mL), or a combination of TGF-β1 (5 ng/mL) + IGF-I (100 ng/mL). Single chondrocytes from all treatments were individually studied using viscoelastic creep testing and stained with rhodamine phalloidin for the F-actin cytoskeleton. Lastly, real-time RT-PCR was performed for β-actin. Results Creep testing demonstrated that all growth factor treatments stiffened cells. Image analysis of rhodamine phalloidin stained chondrocytes showed that cells from all growth factor groups had significantly higher fluorescence than controls, mirroring creep testing results. Growth factors altered cell morphology, since chondrocytes exposed to growth factors remained more rounded, exhibited greater cell heights, and were less spread. Finally, real-time RT-PCR revealed no significant effect of growth factor exposure on β-actin mRNA abundance. However, β-actin expression varied zonally, suggesting that this gene would be unsuitable as a PCR housekeeping gene. Conclusions These results indicate that TGF-β1 and IGF-I increase F-actin levels in single chondrocytes leading to stiffening of cells; however, there does not appear to be direct transcriptional regulation of unpolymerized β-actin. This suggests that the observed response is most likely due to signaling cross-talk between growth factor receptors and integrin/focal adhesion complexes