The Motivation-Based Promotion of Proactive Control: The Role of Salience Network

It has been shown that reward motivation can facilitate proactive control, a cognitive control mode that is characterized of prior preparation and sustained holding of the goal-relevant information in working memory. However, it remains to be established the neural networks that may be involved in this promotion effect. In this study, participants underwent the AX-Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) that measures relative proactive control during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. We employed independent component analysis to decompose multiple brain networks and identified the task related network. Results showed that the salience network (SN) was engaged in the AX-CPT protocol. Importantly, our data demonstrated that reward modulated the association between task engagement of SN and proactive control, whereby the positive correlation was particularly observed in the reward condition. Moreover, reward modulated task engagement of the SN in a proactive manner, which may contribute to the behavioral proactive performance. Overall, our data suggest the involvement of SN in the reward facilitation effect of proactive control

Correlation between self-esteem and stress response in Chinese college students: The mediating role of the need for social approval

The need for social approval Internal locus of control Mediation analysis a b s t r a c t Interpersonal theories of self-esteem assume that the importance that others place on oneself contributes to individual levels of self-esteem. Recent studies further suggest a possible link between self-esteem and the endocrine stress response, mediated through individual levels of locus of control, without taking levels of social approval into account. The present set of studies aimed to explore the correlation between self-esteem and stress response in Chinese students, and simultaneously take into account the possible mediating role of internal locus of control and need for social approval. In study one, twenty-eight college students' heart rates and saliva samples were collected while they underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Their self-esteem scores were assessed using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Results showed a positive correlation between self-esteem and their endocrine stress responses to the TSST. In study two, forty-one college students' heart rates were collected while they underwent the TSST. Their locus of control scores were assessed by the Internality, Powerful Others, and Chance Scale, and their social approval scores were assessed by the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Results indicated a significant positive correlation between self-esteem and heart rate changes during the TSST, with a mediating role of the need for social approval in the association between self-esteem and heart rate stress responses. We speculate that cultural differences may moderate the association between self-esteem and stress response

Self-Compassion Demonstrating a Dual Relationship with Pain Dependent on High-Frequency Heart Rate Variability

One previous study indicated the significance of trait self-compassion in psychological well-being and adjustment in people with chronic pain. Higher-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) was found to be closely associated with self-compassion and pain coping. The current study was therefore designed to investigate the relationship between self-compassion and experimental pain as well as the impact of HF-HRV. Sixty healthy participants provided self-reported self-compassion and underwent a cold pain protocol during which HF-HRV was evaluated. Results demonstrated a dual relationship between self-compassion and pain, dependent on the level of HF-HRV during pain exposure. Specifically, self-compassion was associated with lower pain in the condition of higher HF-HRV, while there was an inverse relationship between self-compassion and pain when HF-HRV was lower. Our data indicate the significance of HF-HRV in moderating the association between self-compassion and experimental pain

Protective Effect of Self-Compassion to Emotional Response among Students with Chronic Academic Stress

The literature has shown that self-compassion is a protective factor of an individual’s emo-tional response to chronic stress. However, this stress-buffering effect has not been complete-ly analyzed in individuals who report significantly high academic stress. The present study explored the role of self-compassion in a group of undergraduate students who experience chronic academic stress. A total of 208 undergraduate students who were preparing for the Postgraduate Entrance Examination (PEE) were recruited and completed the Self-Compassion Scale, Adolescent Self-Rating Life Event Check List, and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Differences analysis confirmed that the participants reported significantly higher academic stress than their peers who were not preparing for PEE. Self-compassion positively related to positive affect but negatively related to negative affect and learning stress. Further analysis showed that self-compassion negatively mediated the relationship be-tween chronic academic stress and negative affect. Findings imply that self-compassion-centered interventions can be developed in the educational context to assist students cope with chronic academic stress

Correlation between self-esteem and stress response in Chinese college students : the mediating role of the need for social approval

Interpersonal theories of self-esteem assume that the importance that others place on oneself contributes to individual levels of self-esteem. Recent studies further suggest a possible link between self-esteem and the endocrine stress response, mediated through individual levels of locus of control, without taking levels of social approval into account. The present set of studies aimed to explore the correlation between self-esteem and stress response in Chinese students, and simultaneously take into account the possible mediating role of internal locus of control and need for social approval. In study one, twenty-eight college students’ heart rates and saliva samples were collected while they underwent the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Their self-esteem scores were assessed using the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Results showed a positive correlation between self-esteem and their endocrine stress responses to the TSST. In study two, forty-one college students’ heart rates were collected while they underwent the TSST. Their locus of control scores were assessed by the Internality, Powerful Others, and Chance Scale, and their social approval scores were assessed by the Marlowe–Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Results indicated a significant positive correlation between self-esteem and heart rate changes during the TSST, with a mediating role of the need for social approval in the association between self-esteem and heart rate stress responses. We speculate that cultural differences may moderate the association between self-esteem and stress response.publishe

Psychological characteristics associated with ultra‐marathon running: An exploratory self‐report and psychophysiological study

Objective Ultra‐marathon running is an extremely demanding sport. Psychological factors that affect responses to stressors and may contribute to ultra‐runners' ability to engage in their sport include resilience, personality characteristics, and affective processing. This exploratory study investigated ultra‐runners' resilience, personality traits, emotion regulation abilities, and self‐report and physiological responses to emotionally negative stimuli. Method Twenty ultra‐runners and 20 non‐running controls completed the Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD‐RISC), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), and Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire–Brief Form (MPQ–BF). Participants also completed a computerised emotion regulation task in which they were instructed to down‐regulate their responses to emotionally negative images. They provided self‐report ratings of their responses to the images and their heart rate and skin conductance responses were also recorded. Results The ultra‐runners scored higher than controls on the CD‐RISC (p = .014; d = 0.81) and Positive Reappraisal subscale of the CERQ (p = .034; d = 0.70). They also scored lower on the Social Closeness scale of the MPQ‐BF (p = .037; d = −0.68). In the emotion regulation task, they did not differ in their self‐report responses to negative images but displayed smaller cardiac and skin conductance responses to these images (both p = .04;  ≥ .11). Conclusions Compared with non‐runners, ultra‐runners appear to be more resilient, more likely to engage in positive reappraisal, lower in affiliative extraversion, and less physiologically responsive to emotionally negative stimuli. They otherwise appear to be broadly similar to non‐runners with respect to their personality traits and emotion regulation processes