Charting the internal landscape: Affect associated with thoughts about major life domains explains life satisfaction

Studies of happiness have examined the impact of demographics, personality and emotions accompanying daily activities on life satisfaction. We suggest that how people feel while contemplating aspects of their lives, including their weight, children and future prospects, is a promising yet uncharted territory within the internal landscape of life satisfaction. In a sample of 811 American women, we assessed women’s feelings when thinking about major life domains and frequency of thoughts about each domain. Regression and dominance analyses showed that emotional valence of thoughts about major life domains was an important predictor of current and prior life satisfaction, surpassing, in descending order, demographics, participants’ feelings during recent activities, and their neuroticism and extraversion scores. Domains thought about more frequently were often associated with greater emotional valence. These results suggest that life satisfaction may be improved by modifying emotional valence and frequency of thoughts about life domains. Moreover, these thoughts appear to be an important and relatively stable component of well-being worthy of further study

Dog-owner attachment is associated With oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms in both parties. A comparative study on Austrian and Hungarian border collies

Variations in human infants' attachment behavior are associated with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene, suggesting a genetic component to infant-mother attachment. However, due to the genetic relatedness of infants and their mothers, it is difficult to separate the genetic effects of infants' OXTR genotype from the environmental effects of mothers' genotype possibly affecting their parental behavior. The apparent functional analogy between child-parent and dog-owner relationship, however, offers a way to disentangle the effects of these factors because pet dogs are not genetically related to their caregivers. In the present study we investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms of pet dogs' OXTR gene (−213AG,−94TC,−74CG) and their owners' OXTR gene (rs53576, rs1042778, rs2254298) are associated with components of dog-owner attachment. In order to investigate whether social-environmental effects modulate the potential genetic influence on attachment, dogs and their owners from two different countries (Austria and Hungary, N = 135 in total) were tested in a modified version of the Ainsworth Strange Situation Test (SST) and questionnaires were also used to collect information about owner personality and attachment style. We coded variables related to three components of attachment behavior in dogs: their sensitivity to the separation from and interaction with the owner (Attachment), stress caused by the unfamiliar environment (Anxiety), and their responsiveness to the stranger (Acceptance). We found that (1) dogs' behavior was significantly associated with polymorphisms in both dogs' and owners' OXTR gene, (2) SNPs in dogs' and owners' OXTR gene interactively influenced dog-human relationship, (3) dogs' attachment behavior was affected by the country of origin, and (4) it was related to their owners' personality as well as attachment style. Thus, the present study provides evidence, for the first time, that both genetic variation in the OXTR gene and various aspects of pet dogs' environmental background are associated with their attachment to their human caregivers

Bullied Adolescent's Life Satisfaction: Personal Competencies and School Climate as Protective Factors

Although adolescence has been defined as a stage of vulnerability, due to the biopsychosocial changes that happen throughout this developmental stage, it is also one of growth. Some of the core personal competencies that have been identified to promote positive development at this stage while simultaneously preventing risks are: (1) a positive sense of self, (2) self-regulation, (3) decision-making skills, (4) a moral system of belief, and (5) prosocial connectedness. There are many factors and contexts that influence adolescent development. The school climate, for example, has the capacity to promote positive development and life satisfaction, yet on the other hand, it is a context within which different forms of violence, such as bullying, can occur. The principal aim of this study, therefore, is to analyze the influence that bullying has on one's life satisfaction, while taking into account participants' socio-demographic characteristics (i.e., gender and developmental stage), their core personal competencies (i.e., problem solving strategies, empathy, emotional repair, self-esteem, and values), and the school climate. To obtain data, a hierarchical regression analysis was conducted with a sample of 647 Spanish students (53.3% female), ranging in age from preadolescence (10-13 years old; 60.3%) to mid-adolescence (14-18 years old; 39.7%), and belonging to diverse socio-economic contexts (15.3% rural) and schools (32.1% public). After gaining informed consent from both the participants and their parents, students completed the survey voluntarily, and under anonymity. Initially results show that gender, developmental stage, and having been bullied were predictors of participants' levels of life satisfaction. When the core personal competencies were also considered in data analysis process, self-esteem, emotional repair, and social values were those demonstrating significant effects on one's life satisfaction; moreover, being bullied was a significant predictor too. Finally, after taking school climate into account, only this variable as well as self-esteem and emotional repair were significant predictors of life satisfaction: the other assessed variables were no longer found to be significant predictors (i.e., gender, developmental stage, being bullied, and social values). These results have important implications for education objectives, methodologies, and school functioning: school climate, selfesteem and emotional repair seem to be particularly important for promoting student life satisfaction and for preventing the negative consequences associated with being bullied.This work was supported by the Vicerrectorado de Investigación y Transferencia de Conocimiento from the University of Cantabria, Spain (Ref. No. 11.VU04.64662

Oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms are associated with human directed social behavior in dogs (Canis familiaris)

The oxytocin system has a crucial role in human sociality; several results prove that polymorphisms of the oxytocin receptor gene are related to complex social behaviors in humans. Dogs' parallel evolution with humans and their adaptation to the human environment has made them a useful species to model human social interactions. Previous research indicates that dogs are eligible models for behavioral genetic research, as well. Based on these previous findings, our research investigated associations between human directed social behaviors and two newly described (−212AG, 19131AG) and one known (rs8679684) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the regulatory regions (5′ and 3′ UTR) of the oxytocin receptor gene in German Shepherd (N = 104) and Border Collie (N = 103) dogs. Dogs' behavior traits have been estimated in a newly developed test series consisting of five episodes: Greeting by a stranger, Separation from the owner, Problem solving, Threatening approach, Hiding of the owner. Buccal samples were collected and DNA was isolated using standard protocols. SNPs in the 3′ and 5′ UTR regions were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction based techniques followed by subsequent electrophoresis analysis. The gene–behavior association analysis suggests that oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms have an impact in both breeds on (i) proximity seeking towards an unfamiliar person, as well as their owner, and on (ii) how friendly dogs behave towards strangers, although the mediating molecular regulatory mechanisms are yet unknown. Based on these results, we conclude that similarly to humans, the social behavior of dogs towards humans is influenced by the oxytocin system

Molecular Genetic Contributions to Intimate Relationship Dynamics

Genetic factors are likely involved in many aspects of human social behavior, yet influences of molecular genetic markers on aspects of human intimate relationships have only recently been documented. The present dissertation begins with a review of these recent advances which have collectively given rise to the transdisciplinary sub-field of relationship genetics (Chapter Two). Particular attention is given to candidate gene studies of intimate relationship characteristics and to the elusive but tantalizing notion of "genetic compatibility" between intimate relationship partners. The review is followed by two original studies. The first of these (Chapter Three) investigates the effects of matching at major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene markers between existing long-term relationship partners on self-reported levels of in-pair attraction. The results provide qualified support for the hypothesis that higher levels of matching between relationship partners at MHC markers leads to reduced levels of attraction between those partners. However, this effect appears to be strong and reliable only for individuals of Asian ancestry, whereas the evidence for such an effect in individuals of non-Asian ancestry is far more equivocal. The second study (Chapter Four) applies a genetic technique known as haplotype analysis to investigate associations between variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and self-report measures of individual differences and relationship parameters collected from partners in long-term intimate relationships. Few effects were found for measures of relationship quality, but a number of interesting and consistent associations were uncovered between OXTR haplotypes and measures of extra-pair interest and desire. Taken as a whole, the present work documents the emergence of an exciting new subfield and presents two novel contributions to this nascent literature. Relationship genetics offers the prospect of marrying cutting edge molecular genetic techniques to the investigation of questions that have been at the center of human life and thought since time immemorial

Molecular Genetic Contributions to Intimate Relationship Dynamics

Genetic factors are likely involved in many aspects of human social behavior, yet influences of molecular genetic markers on aspects of human intimate relationships have only recently been documented. The present dissertation begins with a review of these recent advances which have collectively given rise to the transdisciplinary sub-field of relationship genetics (Chapter Two). Particular attention is given to candidate gene studies of intimate relationship characteristics and to the elusive but tantalizing notion of "genetic compatibility" between intimate relationship partners. The review is followed by two original studies. The first of these (Chapter Three) investigates the effects of matching at major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene markers between existing long-term relationship partners on self-reported levels of in-pair attraction. The results provide qualified support for the hypothesis that higher levels of matching between relationship partners at MHC markers leads to reduced levels of attraction between those partners. However, this effect appears to be strong and reliable only for individuals of Asian ancestry, whereas the evidence for such an effect in individuals of non-Asian ancestry is far more equivocal. The second study (Chapter Four) applies a genetic technique known as haplotype analysis to investigate associations between variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and self-report measures of individual differences and relationship parameters collected from partners in long-term intimate relationships. Few effects were found for measures of relationship quality, but a number of interesting and consistent associations were uncovered between OXTR haplotypes and measures of extra-pair interest and desire. Taken as a whole, the present work documents the emergence of an exciting new subfield and presents two novel contributions to this nascent literature. Relationship genetics offers the prospect of marrying cutting edge molecular genetic techniques to the investigation of questions that have been at the center of human life and thought since time immemorial

Charting the internal landscape: Affect associated with thoughts about major life domains explains life satisfaction

Studies of happiness have examined the impact of demographics, personality and emotions accompanying daily activities on life satisfaction. We suggest that how people feel while contemplating aspects of their lives, including their weight, children and future prospects, is a promising yet uncharted territory within the internal landscape of life satisfaction. In a sample of 811 American women, we assessed women’s feelings when thinking about major life domains and frequency of thoughts about each domain. Regression and dominance analyses showed that emotional valence of thoughts about major life domains was an important predictor of current and prior life satisfaction, surpassing, in descending order, demographics, participants ’ feelings during recent activities, and their neuroticism and extraversion scores. Domains thought about more frequently were often associated with greater emotional valence. These results suggest that life satisfaction may be improved by modifying emotional valence and frequency of thoughts about life domains. Moreover, these thoughts appear to be an important and relatively stable component of well-being worthy of further study