Green as the gospel : the power of stewardship messages to improve climate change attitudes

Three studies (N = 1,389) investigate how attitudes toward the environment and climate change may be informed by stewardship beliefs (care for the Earth as a sacred religious duty) or dominion beliefs (God-given dominance over nature). Pro-environmental measures were positively associated with stewardship belief and negatively associated with dominion belief, moderated by religiosity (Study 1). When religious participants read passages from the Bible supporting stewardship, they expressed greater concern for climate change, compared with those who read dominion messages or a control passage (Study 2). Reading the Pro-environmental encyclical by Pope Francis increased participants’ belief in and moralization of climate change, but this was moderated by favorable attitudes toward the Pope. These findings suggest that environmental attitudes can be shaped by views of religious authorities and present an optimistic view that environmental stewardship can be used to improve concern for climate change among religious believers

Focusing on the big picture: How widening attention decreases spending

Seven studies tested the hypothesis that thinking about one’s overall financial situation (e.g., how much one has in total debts, assets, or net worth) reduces participants’ willingness to spend. Four of the seven studies found significant results in favor of this hypothesis; however, three of the studies resulted in null effects. There was variation from study to study, with some changes to the dependent measures and some studies containing additional mediating measures, so a meta-analysis of the seven studies was conducted. Studies 5 through 8 attempted to find a significant mediator for this effect, including testing whether participants are more likely to consider opportunity costs, have an abstract construal, feel financial scarcity, or experience negative emotion, compared to the control condition. However, no significant mediating measure was identified. Future plans for additional research are discussed

Spirituality of Science : implications for meaning, well-being, and learning

Scientists often refer to spiritual experiences with science. This research addresses this novel component of science attitudes—spirituality of science: feelings of meaning, awe, and connection derived through scientific ideas. Three studies (N = 1197) examined individual differences in Spirituality of Science (SoS) and its benefits for well-being, meaning, and learning. Spirituality of Science was related to belief in science, but unlike other science attitudes SoS was also associated with trait awe and general spirituality (Study 1). Spirituality of Science also predicted meaning in life and emotional well-being in a group of atheists and agnostics, showing that scientific sources of spirituality can provide similar psychological benefits as religious spirituality (Study 2). Finally, Spirituality of Science predicted stronger engagement and recall of scientific information (Study 3). Results provide support for an experience of spirituality related to science, with benefits for meaning, well-being and learning

The hedonics of debt

Psychologists and economists often discuss the “pain” of paying for our purchases. Four experiments examine how people evaluate prospective debt payments, analyzing how different features of a loan (down payment, final payment, duration, monthly payments) affect willingness to accept the loan. Akin to previous findings on physical pain, participants exhibited duration neglect and overweighted final moments. However, participants also focused heavily on the monthly or average payment (unlike in retrospective studies of physical pain where only peak-end moments seem to count). In Experiment 2, participants’ willingness to accept the loan was not significantly diminished by making it more expensive through keeping the same monthly payment but extending the length of the loan by 40% (evincing duration neglect). Further, in Experiments 3 and 4, we show that participants increased their willingness to buy if loans were made longer and more expensive by adding smaller, less “painful” payments to the end

The Grizzly, April 28, 2011

New U Hosts Spring Into Wellness Month • College Campuses are a Hotbed for Theft • Take a Little Break with Activities from Around Collegeville • Relay for Life Benefits American Cancer Society • Active Minds Hosts Art Festival • Senior Reflection: The Past was Worth the Future • Students Uncover Papers from the Third Reich • Internship Spotlight: Sierra Guerin • Opinions: The Magic is in the Turning of the Page; Books and Electronic Books can Coexist; A New (Satirical) Take on Racial (In)equality at Ursinus • Looking Past Senioritis: Importance of Giving Back to UC • Senior Spotlight: Runner Jeremy Garavelhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1836/thumbnail.jp

Emergency medical dispatch services across Pan-Asian countries: a web-based survey

Background Dispatch services (DSs) form an integral part of emergency medical service (EMS) systems. The role of a dispatcher has also evolved into a crucial link in patient care delivery, particularly in dispatcher assisted cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (DACPR) during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Yet, there has been a paucity of research into the emerging area of dispatch science in Asia. This paper compares the characteristics of DSs, and state of implementation of DACPR within the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcomes (PAROS) network. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive survey addressing population characteristics, DS structures and levels of service, state of DACPR implementation (including protocols and quality improvement programs) among PAROS DSs. Results 9 DSs responded, representing a total of 23 dispatch centres from 9 countries that serve over 80 million people. Most PAROS DSs operate a tiered dispatch response, have implemented medical oversight, and tend to be staffed by dispatchers with a predominantly medical background. Almost all PAROS DSs have begun tracking key EMS indicators. 77.8% (n = 7) of PAROS DSs have introduced DACPR. Of the DSs that have rolled out DACPR, 71.4% (n = 5) provided instructions in over one language. All DSs that implemented DACPR and provided feedback to dispatchers offered feedback on missed OHCA recognition. The majority of DSs (83.3%; n = 5) that offered DACPR and provided feedback to dispatchers also implemented corrective feedback, while 66.7% (n = 4) offered positive feedback. Compression-only CPR was the standard instruction for PAROS DSs. OHCA recognition sensitivity varied widely in PAROS DSs, ranging from 32.6% (95% CI: 29.9–35.5%) to 79.2% (95% CI: 72.9–84.4%). Median time to first compression ranged from 120 s to 220 s. Conclusions We found notable variations in characteristics and state of DACPR implementation between PAROS DSs. These findings will lay the groundwork for future DS and DACPR studies in the PAROS network.This study was supported by grants from National Medical Research Council, Clinician Scientist Awards, Singapore NMRC/CSA/024/2010 and NMRC/CSA/0049/2013), Ministry of Health, Health Services Research Grant, Singapore (HSRG/0021/2012). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Impact of the Resident Microbiota on the Nutritional Phenotype of Drosophila melanogaster

Background: Animals are chronically infected by benign and beneficial microorganisms that generally promote animal health through their effects on the nutrition, immune function and other physiological systems of the host. Insight into the host-microbial interactions can be obtained by comparing the traits of animals experimentally deprived of their microbiota and untreated animals. Drosophila melanogaster is an experimentally tractable system to study host-microbial interactions. Methodology/Principal Findings: The nutritional significance of the microbiota was investigated in D. melanogaster bearing unmanipulated microbiota, demonstrated by 454 sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons to be dominated by the a-proteobacterium Acetobacter, and experimentally deprived of the microbiota by egg dechorionation (conventional and axenic flies, respectively). In axenic flies, larval development rate was depressed with no effect on adult size relative to conventional flies, indicating that the microbiota promotes larval growth rates. Female fecundity did not differ significantly between conventional and axenic flies, but axenic flies had significantly reduced metabolic rate and altered carbohydrate allocation, including elevated glucose levels. Conclusions/Significance: We have shown that elimination of the resident microbiota extends larval development and perturbs energy homeostasis and carbohydrate allocation patterns of of D. melanogaster. Our results indicate that th