Mood Effects and Individual Differences on Reappraisal and Distraction: An ERP Study of the Sensitivity of Emotion Regulation Strategies

The present research evaluated the effect of mood and individual differences on the regulatory process of emotions by using a regulation task with negative and neutral images to assess reappraisal and distraction ability. Specifically, this research evaluated the average amplitude of the latent positive potential (latent positivity, LPP) brainwave linked to distraction and reappraisal using an ERP analysis. In addition, the current study compared the modulation of the LPP to the self-reported mood of the participants and their individual differences in regulation ability through scores of a self-report emotion regulation questionnaire. The latent positive potentials from an emotion regulation task of 25 participants (7 males, 18 females) from Central Washington University were examined and compared to current mood state and individual differences in prior practice using reappraisal. The present study supported past evidence that distraction seems to be the most efficient emotion regulation strategy to utilize when quickly assessing negative stimuli. In comparison to distraction, reappraisal seems to be a strategy that requires heightened thought processes, making it valuable in long term but not in short term appraisal situations. The current study also found that current mood produced no change in the efficiency of the two emotion regulation tasks. Additionally, individual differences among the participants showed no relationship to the efficiency of the reappraisal tasks

From the Ivory Tower Through the Black Box: Engaging Effectively with Government to Turn Ideas into Action

When researchers, communities, and/or environmental organizations propose new approaches to address ecological challenges, responsibility for implementing them often falls (in part) to practitioners working within government. Government employees face considerable challenges in synthesizing the available knowledge to support a recommendation for decision-makers to adopt a new approach. This presentation draws on an insider’s experience to help conservation researchers and practitioners understand the key challenges and opportunities that government employees face in navigating their organizations’ decision-making processes. It also suggests best practices to help proponents of new approaches frame conservation finance ideas in ways that resonate with local governments and their decision-makers. The presentation provides an insider perspective on the key challenges that local government staff face, and proposes strategies that conservation researchers and practitioners can use to equip their government counterparts with the information they need to overcome these challenges. It also highlights how effective communication and partnerships can help persuade governments that new approaches will help them to achieve their environmental objectives. For example, it will discuss: Developing ‘user friendly’ research by providing guidance that helps staff understand and communicate when a newly-proposed approach would be appropriate; Designing approaches that can be adapted to local circumstances (i.e., passing the “values test”); Recognizing that tolerance for risk and uncertainty varies within and among government organizations (spoiler: the importance of pilots); and Linking proposed actions to outcomes (rather than outputs) to make them resonate with decision-makers; and Using “pay for success” approaches to minimize perceived financial risk and maximize the potential impact of scarce government resources. These strategies are intended to help innovative ideas stand out amongst the information cluttering desks in government offices (e.g., technical studies, engineering reports). If nothing else, participants will improve their understanding of the local government decision context

Keep Calm and Carry On: Mood Effects on Emotion Regulation Strategies

Emotion regulation is a phrase used to describe individual’s ability to efficiently calm themselves down when faced with distressing stimuli. Two frequently studied strategies are reappraisal (reassessing a situation as something positive) and distraction (thinking unrelated positive thoughts in order to remain calm). Past research has shown that these two strategies are so effective that they can even be seen in recorded brainwaves using an electroencephalogram (EEG). In order to add to the previous literature, the current research looked at daily mood as another potential external factor that may influence the efficiency of reappraisal and distraction. The brainwaves from a negative stimulus analysis task of twentyfive undergraduate participants from Central Washington University were analyzed and compared to selfreport data on their current mood and prior knowledge/practice of utilizing these strategies. The researchers hypothesized that individuals who reported to be in a particularly pleasant mood would show greater efficiency in their reappraisal task. For distraction, the researchers hypothesized that individuals would be able to distract themselves regardless of mood. Primary results indicated that most of the participants were in a pleasant mood, so statistically overall mood had no effect on reappraisal (F(2,22)=.678, p=.518) or distraction (F(2,22)=.193, p=.892). There was however a significant difference in participants overall ability to distract vs. reappraise (t(24) = 2.156, p\u3c.05) indicating that even though mood may not influence individual’s ability to reappraise or distract, distraction may still serve as a more efficient way to regulate emotions overall

The Asymmetric Structure of an Icosahedral Virus Bound to Its Receptor Suggests a Mechanism for Genome Release

Simple, spherical RNA viruses have well-understood, symmetric protein capsids, but little structural information is available for their asymmetric components, such as minor proteins and their genomes, which are vital for infection. Here, we report an asymmetric structure of bacteriophage MS2, attached to its receptor, the F-pilus. Cryo-electron tomography and subtomographic averaging of such complexes result in a structure containing clear density for the packaged genome, implying that the conformation of the genome is the same in each virus particle. The data also suggest that the single-copy viral maturation protein breaks the symmetry of the capsid, occupying a position that would be filled by a coat protein dimer in an icosahedral shell. This capsomere can thus fulfill its known biological roles in receptor and genome binding and suggests an exit route for the genome during infection