Giving, Takers, and Happiness: How Prosocial Motivation Relates to the Happiness Effects of Giving

Existing research demonstrates that prosocial behavior can lead to long lasting well-being, happiness, and health. Prosocial behavior also has meaningful organizational impact in terms of employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention. However, theories of reciprocity styles suggest that individuals may experience differing benefits associated with prosocial behavior. For example, certain people termed takers who think about relationships as an exchange rather than a communal relationship may not receive these happiness effects. Given the potentially harmful ripple effects that takers can have on organizations, it’s important to understand if they too feel happiness after giving and, if so, how organizational interventions can be designed to encourage these takers to give more. In this study, we propose that the happiness effects associated with prosocial giving are moderated by individuals’ dispositional prosocial motivations – that is, whether they are a giver, matcher, or taker. We find that, contrary to previous findings, both givers and takers are made less happy by giving than personal spending, but the effect is less pronounced for takers. We suggest a crowding out effect of intrinsic motivation for givers. This result has important implications for organizations since it suggests that it may be possible to encourage giving prosocial behaviors even among notoriously selfish takers and also that ways to promote generosity may require tailoring to individual motivations

Long Term Care Facilities Choice Factor Analysis

poster abstractIntroduction: The largest generation in America has reached retirement age and will continue to do so until the year 2030. This has caused tremendous growth of long-term care facilities and warrants investigation into these facilities. The goal of this study is to understand and quantify incoming residents’ factors of primary importance as assessed by themselves and familial decision makers when choosing a long-term care facility. Methods: Three hundred fifty-four adults who had previously been involved in choosing a long term care facility for a loved one were paid up to $1.25 to complete a questionnaire online via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Participants rated importance of 10 factors involved in decision-making (e.g., price, social environment, medical care availability) on a scale of 1-100. Results: The result of data cleaning culminated in 287 quality survey responses, from which the data was analyzed. One hundred fifty-five of the participants (54%) were female and 1 ( 1, accounting for 55.52% of variance. Factor 1-Comfort and factor 2-Practicality were significantly intercorrelated (r = 0.43). The most important factors were cleanliness, staff (non-physician), and atmosphere (mean scores of 89.43, 85.58, & 84.62 respectively). The least important factors were facility layout and off-site activities (mean scores of 66.64 & 48.43 respectively). Conclusion: Overall, many factors go into decision on long-term care facilities, with the most important factors likely involving cleanliness, staff, and atmosphere. The results of this research can be utilized in long term care facility selection and provide a platform for facilities to adapt to their residents. Mentor: Melissa A. Cyders. Department of Psychology, IUPUI School of Science. Funding provided by the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP)

Correlation Between Photosensitivity and Downwelling Irradiance in Mesopelagic Crustaceans

The current study determined behavioral and electrophysiological photosensitivities for three species of mesopelagic crustaceans: Pasiphaea multidentata Esmark, 1866 (Decapoda: Pasiphaeidae), Sergestes arcticus Kröyer, 1855 (Decapoda: Sergestidae), and Meganyctiphanes norvegica M. Sars, 1857 (Euphausiacea: Euphausiidae). In addition, in situ quantifications of the species’ vertical distributions in relation to downwelling irradiances were also determined in two locations in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, Wilkinson Basin (WB) and Oceanographer Canyon (OC). Data are from six 2-week cruises between June and September from 1995 to 2001. P. multidentata and M. norvegica were the most abundant large crustaceans in WB, and S. arcticus and M. norvegica were the most abundant large crustaceans in OC. The behavioral light sensitivity thresholds of P. multidentata and M. norvegica from WB were both 107 photons cm−2 s−1 and those of S. arcticus and M. norvegica from OC were both 108 photons cm−2 s−1. Electrophysiologically, P. multidentata was significantly more sensitive than M. norvegica from either location, S. arcticus was significantly more sensitive than M. norvegica from OC, and M. norvegica from WB was significantly more sensitive than M. norvegica from OC. A correlation was found between electrophysiologically measured photosensitivity and downwelling irradiance, with the most sensitive species, P. multidentata and S. arcticus, associated with the lowest irradiance at daytime depths. The photosensitivities of M. norvegicacollected from the clearer waters of OC were significantly lower than those of individuals collected from the more turbid WB waters. These results indicate that downwelling irradiance has a significant impact on interspecies and intraspecies vertical distribution patterns in the mesopelagic realm

Modulation of gene expression via overlapping binding sites exerted by ZNF143, Notch1 and THAP11

ZNF143 is a zinc-finger protein involved in the transcriptional regulation of both coding and non-coding genes from polymerase II and III promoters. Our study deciphers the genome-wide regulatory role of ZNF143 in relation with the two previously unrelated transcription factors Notch1/ICN1 and thanatos-associated protein 11 (THAP11) in several human and murine cells. We show that two distinct motifs, SBS1 and SBS2, are associated to ZNF143-binding events in promoters of >3000 genes. Without co-occupation, these sites are also bound by Notch1/ICN1 in T-lymphoblastic leukaemia cells as well as by THAP11, a factor involved in self-renewal of embryonic stem cells. We present evidence that ICN1 binding overlaps with ZNF143 binding events at the SBS1 and SBS2 motifs, whereas the overlap occurs only at SBS2 for THAP11. We demonstrate that the three factors modulate expression of common target genes through the mutually exclusive occupation of overlapping binding sites. The model we propose predicts that the binding competition between the three factors controls biological processes such as rapid cell growth of both neoplastic and stem cells. Overall, our study establishes a novel relationship between ZNF143, THAP11 and ICN1 and reveals important insights into ZNF143-mediated gene regulation

Exploring Branding with Chicago Farmers Market Collective

Our team wants to help create a true branding message for the Chicago Famers Market Collective through surveying a diverse market. We did this by conducting in depth interviews through an unfocused groups guide in order to collect information in regarding to participants\u27 opinions on branding and farmers markets. Afterwards, we will then analyze and summarize this information in a report for our client

1.2dB/cm gain in an erbium:lutecium co-doped Al/P silica fibre

We report a peak gain of 1.2dB/cm at 1535nm in an Erbium:Lutecium codoped Al/P/Si fibre fabricated using a standard MCVD and solution doping technique. This is the highest gain per unit length yet reported in an erbium doped fiber amplifier. The incorporation of lutetium into the glass is shown to reduce the erbium ion clustering within the fiber

BEHAVIORAL SENSATION SEEKING CORRELATES WITH ADDICTION RISK BEHAVIORS AND SELF-REPORTED SENSATION SEEKING

poster abstractBackground: Trait sensation seeking (SS) substantially influences the initiation of substance use. We created a behavioral task that presents choices and consequent olfactory stimuli in real time, which is designed to model real-world choices of highly varied, novel, and intense stimuli, despite risks associated with such choices. We hypothesized that behaviorally quantified SS would correlate with risky behaviors and self-reported SS tendencies. Methods: Undergraduate students (n=145, mean age=21±5, n=84 male, n=106 Caucasian) performed an odorant choice task, self-report SS assessments, and the Risky Behaviors Scale (RBS). Subjects used a computer mouse to choose between STANDARD (“weak, pleasant”) and VARIED (“stronger, likely pleasant but possibly unpleasant”) odors. An air-dilution olfactometer then delivered an odorant to subjects’ nostrils. Participants also rated odor intensity and pleasantness. Participants’ preference for VARIED was the primary metric of interest (Choice Ratio). Results: Choice Ratio correlated with self-reported SS assessments (rs>0.30, ps<0.001) and negative risky behaviors (strong trend: r=0.16, p=0.057). In men only, Choice Ratio correlated with endorsement of drug and alcohol risky behaviors (r=0.25, p=0.022). Conclusions: This SS task provides actual sensory consequences, is related to self-reported SS tendencies, and correlates with self-reported risk taking. Behaviorally quantified SS can be used in neuroimaging to probe brain patterns underlying SS tendencies. Further testing in riskier samples will expand external validity. A portable version is currently in development. K01AA020102 and HRSA 10-175 to MAC, R25GM109432 to SMB under the mentorship of MAC, K99AA023296 to BGO

Genome-wide evidence for an essential role of the human Staf/ZNF143 transcription factor in bidirectional transcription

In the human genome, ∼10% of the genes are arranged head to head so that their transcription start sites reside within <1 kbp on opposite strands. In this configuration, a bidirectional promoter generally drives expression of the two genes. How bidirectional expression is performed from these particular promoters constitutes a puzzling question. Here, by a combination of in silico and biochemical approaches, we demonstrate that hStaf/ZNF143 is involved in controlling expression from a subset of divergent gene pairs. The binding sites for hStaf/ZNF143 (SBS) are overrepresented in bidirectional versus unidirectional promoters. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays with a significant set of bidirectional promoters containing putative SBS revealed that 93% of them are associated with hStaf/ZNF143. Expression of dual reporter genes directed by bidirectional promoters are dependent on the SBS integrity and requires hStaf/ZNF143. Furthermore, in some cases, functional SBS are located in bidirectional promoters of gene pairs encoding a noncoding RNA and a protein gene. Remarkably, hStaf/ZNF143 per se exhibits an inherently bidirectional transcription activity, and together our data provide the demonstration that hStaf/ZNF143 is indeed a transcription factor controlling the expression of divergent protein–protein and protein–non-coding RNA gene pairs

Behavioral Measurement of Sensation Seeking Shows Positive Association with Risky Behaviors

poster abstractSensation seeking (SS; the tendency to seek out experiences that are highly varied, novel, and intense, and the willingness to take risks in order to have such experiences) is strongly related to risky behavior. However, most prior research has relied on self-report assessments of SS, which are limited by subject biases and lack of insight. This study is designed to develop and optimize a behavioral assessment of SS to be used in future brain imaging studies, and to evaluate the relationship of this behavior with selfreported SS and risky behaviors. The novel behavioral SS task employed in this study presents participants with olfactory sensory stimuli and assesses the individual’s preference to seek varied, novel, and intense sensations, with the risk of an unpleasant stimulus (“Varied”; e.g. strong orange, rose, linalyl acetate, and propionic acid) vs. weaker and mildly pleasant sensations (“Standard”; weak vanillin, orange, and rose) across two twenty-trial sessions. Hypothesis: greater preference for “Varied” odors will correlate with self-reported SS and risky behaviors. Odorants are presented as a 1-sec burst via an airdilution olfactometer within a filtered airstream. Participants are being recruited from the Introduction to Psychology class at IUPUI (currently n = 11 total, mean age (SD) = 21.2, (5.4), n = 8 women, n = 7 Caucasian). The mean preference for “Varied” was 50%, range = 28-75%. Preference for “Varied” showed a moderate relationship with negative risky behaviors (r = 0.35) and SS (Zuckerman Thrill/Adventure seeking subscale; r = 0.48), suggesting that the behavioral task is associating as expected with these self-report variables. These preliminary data suggests the feasibility of behavioral SS assessment; behavioral characterization will permit examination of how SS influences brain activity, without the limitations of self-report. How SS affects choice of and reactions to new and exciting experiences has important research and clinical implications