Birds of a Feather Sit Together: Physical Similarity Predicts Seating Choice

The relationship between physical similarity and seating preference was examined using two observational studies and one laboratory study. Using Campbell et al.’s (1966) seating adjacency formula, Study 1 found significant aggregation by glasses-wearing status and sex when observing seating patterns in a library computer lab. That is, men sat beside other men, glasses-wearers by other glasses wearers, and so on. Study 2 broadened this methodology by examining a wider variety of physical traits in university classrooms; specifically, race, sex, glasses-wearing, hair length and hair colour. Broadly speaking, multivariate tests revealed an overall tendency for people to sit beside physically similar others more frequently than expected by chance alone. These results remained significant even when controlling for sex, race or prior acquaintanceship. Study 3 conceptually replicated these results in a laboratory setting. Photos of participants were coded for physical similarity to a confederate and attractiveness by independent coders. The more physically similar participants were to a confederate, the closer they sat. This finding remained significant even when controlling for sex, race and attractiveness similarity. Other nonverbal measures were also examined as potential dependant variables; however, only speech disfluencies emerged as a significant correlate with physical similarity. As physical similarity increased, the number of speech disfluencies uttered by the participant during a short interaction also increased. The potential moderating role of implicit self esteem and body esteem on the physical similarity/seating distance relationship was also examined. However, these results were nonsignificant. Finally, as perceived similarity to the confederate increased, so did positive ratings of the confederate using Likert scales; however, perceived similarity did not predict any nonverbal measures. The current research rules out simple matching on sex, race or attractiveness as potential explanations for this finding. An evolutionary kinrecognition mechanism is discussed as a potential mechanism behind these findings, drawing on Debruine’s (2004a) work. However, much work is left to be done to more concretely determine the driving force behind this relationship

Relative Importance of Individual and Community Predictors of Wellbeing

Inspired by theory in wellbeing science, we examined the relative importance of lifestyle factors and living conditions when predicting two dimensions of wellbeing (hedonic and eudaimonic) in a representative sample of 12,826 participants from Nova Scotia collected in 2019. Using multiple regression and measures of relative importance based on the Lindeman, Merenda and Gold (lmg) method, we identified which variables are most important to predicting life satisfaction and life worth. Twenty-two predictors accounted for 51% of the variance in life satisfaction, of which six accounted for 40% of the variance: self-rated mental health (11%), time adequacy (8%), satisfaction with natural environment (7%), sense of community (5%), financial insecurity (5%), and self-rated physical health (3%). These variables were also the top predictors of life worthwhileness, although all 22 predictors (R2 = 0.42) and these six predictors (R2 = 0.26) accounted for less variance than for life satisfaction. These results show that both community-level (i.e., environmental quality of neighbourhood, sense of community) and individual-level (i.e., mental health, time adequacy, financial insecurity, and physical health) factors are substantial predictors of wellbeing. The effect sizes differ between the hedonistic and eudaimonic dimensions of wellbeing, suggesting there may be important predictors of eudaimonic wellbeing not accounted for. This study may inform where community-level programming and policy could focus resources more effectively to promote wellbeing for individuals and their communities

Crafting happiness from everyday life:Personality, personal projects, basic psychological need satisfaction, and well-being

Introduction: Feeling competent, related, and autonomous promotes well-being through satisfying basic psychological needs, according to self-determination theory’s basic psychological need satisfaction mini-theory. Personal projects are personally relevant goal-directed activities that take place over an extended period. The quality of life elicited from pursuing personal projects depends on the degree to which projects provide a sense of relatedness, competence, and autonomy. We expected that, when controlling for perfectionistic standards and discrepancies, achievement striving would lead to the pursual of projects that provide a sense of competence, which in turn leads to well-being. We also explored autonomy and relatedness as mediators. Methods: The sample (N = 327) was composed of students and the general adult population who provided information on positive mental health, passion, zest for life, life purpose, personality, basic psychological need satisfaction, and personal projects. We used a cross-sectional survey design and tested hypotheses with twelve serial mediation models. Results: Achievement striving and personal standards were positively associated with competence, which in turn predicted well-being in 12 of 12 indirect effects tested. Achievement striving, personal standards and discrepancies contributed to change in well-being through relatedness or autonomy in 9 of 24 of exploratory indirect effects tested. Discussion: Those oriented toward achievement motivation are likely to feel competent in their pursuits (personal projects), which in turn promotes well-being. Pursuing personal projects that suit one’s personality (i.e., make it more likely to meet basic psychological needs) may be a tool to boost well-being

The association of self-efficacy, anxiety sensitivity, and perfectionism with statistics and math anxiety

Statistics and math anxiety are pervasive problems for post-secondary students. We hypothesized that self-efficacy would be negatively related to math/statistics anxiety, and that anxiety sensitivity and perfectionism would be positively related to math/statistics anxiety, even when controlling for gender, university program, and education level. Method: Graduate and undergraduate students (N = 447, after exclusions) completed an online self-report questionnaire, including an abbreviated version of the Statistics Anxiety Rating Scale (STARS), math anxiety, self-efficacy, anxiety sensitivity, perfectionism, and demographics. Results: Exploratory factor analysis supported a six-factor structure for statistics anxiety. Self-efficacy was negatively associated with math/statistics anxiety, whereas anxiety sensitivity and perfectionism were positively associated with math/statistics anxiety. Relationships ranged from small-to-moderate, and most relationships persisted after adding covariates. Discussion: Our study suggests the feasibility of a short-form version of the STARS. Moreover, it provides important information on how personality is associated with domain-specific anxiety that can impede statistics education

Imperfect vaccines and the evolution of pathogen virulence

Vaccines rarely provide full protection from disease. Nevertheless, partially effective (imperfect) vaccines may be used to protect both individuals and whole populations.We studied the potential impact of different types of imperfect vaccines on the evolution of pathogen virulence (induced host mortality) and the consequences for public health. Here we show that vaccines designed to reduce pathogen growth rate and/or toxicity diminish selection against virulent pathogens. The subsequent evolution leads to higher levels of intrinsic virulence and hence to more severe disease in unvaccinated individuals. This evolution can erode any population-wide benefits such that overall mortality rates are unaffected, or even increase, with the level of vaccination coverage. In contrast, infection-blocking vaccines induce no such effects, and can even select for lower virulence. These findings have policy implications for the development and use of vaccines that are not expected to provide full immunity, such as candidate vaccines for malaria

Naturally occurring cobalamin (B12) analogs can function as cofactors for human methylmalonyl-CoA mutase

Cobalamin, commonly known as vitamin B12, is an essential micronutrient for humans because of its role as an enzyme cofactor. Cobalamin is one of over a dozen structurally related compounds - cobamides - that are found in certain foods and are produced by microorganisms in the human gut. Very little is known about how different cobamides affect B12-dependent metabolism in human cells. Here, we test in vitro how diverse cobamide cofactors affect the function of methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MMUT), one of two cobalamin-dependent enzymes in humans. We find that, although cobalamin is the most effective cofactor for MMUT, multiple cobamides support MMUT function with differences in binding affinity (Kd), binding kinetics (kon), and concentration dependence during catalysis (KM, app). Additionally, we find that six disease-associated MMUT variants that cause cobalamin-responsive impairments in enzymatic activity also respond to other cobamides, with the extent of catalytic rescue dependent on the identity of the cobamide. Our studies challenge the exclusive focus on cobalamin in the context of human physiology, indicate that diverse cobamides can support the function of a human enzyme, and suggest future directions that will improve our understanding of the roles of different cobamides in human biology. Keywords: Cobalamin; Cobamide; MMUT; Methylmalonic aciduria; Methylmalonyl-CoA mutase; Vitamin B(12)

Data from “Perfectionism, Negative Motives for Drinking, and Alcohol-Related Problems: A 21-day Diary Study”

Two datasets include self-report data from (a) a 21-day daily diary study (N = 263) and (b) a cross-sectional psychometric study (N = 139) of emerging adult drinkers. Data were collected from two Canadian cities, and represent unique, non-overlapping participants in both datasets. Questionnaires assessed perfectionism, reinforcement sensitivity, big five personality traits, alcohol consumption/problems, binge eating, social support, positive and negative affect, social anxiety, and drinking motives. Daily data were originally analysed using multilevel structural equation modelling and are stored in the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/gduy4/). These data can be used to examine research questions related to personality, emotions, and alcohol consumption, including changes from day-to-day in many variables

The Inner-Shelf Dynamics Experiment

17 USC 105 interim-entered record; under review.The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-19-0281.1The inner shelf, the transition zone between the surfzone and the midshelf, is a dynamically complex region with the evolution of circulation and stratification driven by multiple physical processes. Cross-shelf exchange through the inner shelf has important implications for coastal water quality, ecological connectivity, and lateral movement of sediment and heat. The Inner-Shelf Dynamics Experiment (ISDE) was an intensive, coordinated, multi-institution field experiment from September–October 2017, conducted from the midshelf, through the inner shelf, and into the surfzone near Point Sal, California. Satellite, airborne, shore- and ship-based remote sensing, in-water moorings and ship-based sampling, and numerical ocean circulation models forced by winds, waves, and tides were used to investigate the dynamics governing the circulation and transport in the inner shelf and the role of coastline variability on regional circulation dynamics. Here, the following physical processes are highlighted: internal wave dynamics from the midshelf to the inner shelf; flow separation and eddy shedding off Point Sal; offshore ejection of surfzone waters from rip currents; and wind-driven subtidal circulation dynamics. The extensive dataset from ISDE allows for unprecedented investigations into the role of physical processes in creating spatial heterogeneity, and nonlinear interactions between various inner-shelf physical processes. Overall, the highly spatially and temporally resolved oceanographic measurements and numerical simulations of ISDE provide a central framework for studies exploring this complex and fascinating region of the ocean.U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR)ONR Departmental Research Initiative (DRI)Inner-Shelf Dynamics Experiment (ISDE