No description available.

Uppsatsens syfte avser att undersöka allmänhetens och yrkesverksammas inställning till myndighetsutövares användning av lågaffektivt bemötande. Den primära forskningsfrågan som ställts är; Vilka faktorer kan förklara en potentiell variation i inställning till användningen av lågaffektivt bemötande av myndighetsutövare? Studien grundar sig i en kvantitativ ansats med bekvämlighetsurval (n=303), där 46,7% angav att de ingår i deras arbetsroll att använda sig av lågaffektiva metoder. I undersökningen identifierades kön, ålder samt personlighet som potentiella faktorer som kan påverka inställningen. Genom en korrelationsanalys framkom resultatet att inställningen till lågaffektivt bemötande korrelerade med kön, ålder samt med personlighetsdraget välvillighet. Detta visar på att kön, ålder samt välvillighet förklarar en del av vad som potentiellt kan förutse variationen i inställningen till lågaffektivt bemötande av myndighetsutövande. Regressionsanalysen synliggjorde sedan att kön förlorade sin signifikans (p=>.05) vid kontrollerandet av ålder och välvillighet gällande inställningen. Resultatet indikerar att inställningen till lågaffektivt bemötande kan förklaras av personlighetsdraget välvillighet. / The purpose of the thesis is to investigate the attitude of the public and professionals to the use of low arousal approach by public authorities. The primary research question is; What factors can explain a potential variation in attitudes towards the authorities' use of the low arousal approach? The study is based on a quantitative approach with convenience sampling (n=303), where 46.7% stated that low arousal approach is a part of their work role. The survey identified gender, age and personality as potential factors influencing the attitude. Through a correlation analysis, the result showed that the attitude towards low arousal approach correlated with gender, age and the personality trait agreeableness. This means that gender, age and agreeableness explain some of what can potentially predict the variation in attitudes towards the usage of low arousal approach by public authority. The regression analysis revealed that gender lost its significance (p=>.05) when controlling age and agreeableness regarding the attitude towards the low arousal approach. The results indicate that the attitude towards low arousal approach is explained by the personality trait agreeableness.

Alcohol consumption on college campuses is a major public health concern, particularly among emerging adults. Extant literature has identified trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress as robust risk factors for problematic alcohol use. However, the mechanisms underlying this association are less well-studied. Research indicates that bodily arousal is a fundamental feature of trauma exposure and posits that internal stimuli (e.g., heart pounding) at the time of trauma may manifest into conditioned cues that can trigger posttraumatic responding and related symptomatology, including alcohol use. However, past work supporting these assertions have used paradigms purposefully designed to evoke memories of the trauma, making it difficult to conclude whether the subsequent alcohol craving was due more to the explicit memory cue or the associated bodily arousal. The current study examined whether an implicit, trauma-relevant cue of bodily arousal (via hyperventilation) – independent of any explicit memory cue – would elicit increased desire to drink among 80 (Mage = 20.34; 63.8% female) trauma-exposed, emerging adult students. Results found no statistically significant difference in change in alcohol craving between the hyperventilation and control tasks. However, exploratory analyses indicated that trauma type (i.e., interpersonal/non-interpersonal) may moderate this relationship; more specifically, individuals reporting interpersonal trauma as their most traumatic event evidenced a significantly greater increase in desire to drink following hyperventilation compared to the non-interpersonal index trauma group. Generally, results suggest that bodily arousal, without an explicit trauma reminder, is not a specific and/or powerful enough trauma-relevant cue to reliably influence alcohol cravings across all trauma exposed emerging adult students. Suggestions for future directions to help in identifying at-risk subgroups, as well as methodological and procedural improvements, are discussed.

Acute sleep loss may lead to elevated fatigue, decreased energy, and diminished cognitive performance. Traditionally, sleep extension is used to restore mood and cognitive function to baseline levels following insufficient sleep, yet this method may not be feasible or preferred. Acute exercise may serve as an affordable and relatively safe intervention to reduce detriments to daytime functioning following sleep loss. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the effects of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on neurocognitive function following acute sleep restriction. A secondary aim was to examine the effects of exercise in subjective reports of fatigue, energy, and sleepiness following acute sleep restriction. Fifty-six participants, matched by sex, age, and chronotype, were randomly assigned to either an exercise (EX) or seated control (SC) condition. Following a 4-hour sleep restriction protocol, participants completed the oddball paradigm before and after 20 minutes of exercise or stationary sitting. P3 amplitude and latency, arousal, sleepiness, energy, and fatigue were assessed during the experiment. After controlling for pre-test differences, P3 latency was significantly faster following exercise relative to the control group. No significant P3 amplitude differences were observed between conditions. The EX group displayed significant improvements in arousal, sleepiness, energy, and fatigue compared to the SC group. Findings suggest that 20 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise following acute sleep restriction may improve cognitive processing speeds, as well as improve arousal, sleepiness, energy, and fatigue.

Die vorliegende Dissertation beinhaltet drei Studien, welche die kognitiven und neuronalen Grundlagen der Kontrollregulation – ausgelöst durch vorherige Konflikte, konfliktankündigende Hinweise sowie Arousal – untersuchen. Jede Studie basierte auf Interferenzaufgaben mit Durchgängen, die Reaktionskonflikt auslösten (inkompatibel) oder nicht (kompatibel). Studie 1 untersuchte, ob Abfolge abhängigen Verhaltensanpassungen äquivalent sind mit erwartungsbasierten Kontrollprozessen, die durch Hinweise auf die Kompatibilität der nächsten Aufgabe ausgelöst werden. Behaviorale und elektroenzephalographische (EEG) Maße belegten, dass diese Prozesse dissoziieren. Die kontingente negative Variation (CNV), eine EEG Komponente, die Aufgabenantizipation indiziert, zeigte, dass von der Abfolge anhängige Kontrollanpassungen bereits zwischen den Durchgängen agieren. Studie 2 fokussierte auf Prozesse und neuronale Substrate der Kontrollantizipation durch Hinweise. Kompatibilitätshinweise begünstigten effektiv die Leistung, vergrößerten die CNV vor dem nächsten Durchgang und reduzierten konfliktbezogene Konfliktverarbeitung, wie sie durch die N2 Komponente indiziert wird. Im Gegensatz zur Kontrollbedingung gab es keine Anzeichen von Reaktionskonflikt, was auf präemptive Strategien hinweist (d.h. a priori Konfliktverhinderung durch Umschreibung von Bedingungs-Handlungs-Regeln). Funktionelle Bildgebung bestätigte dies, da sie Beteiligung neuronaler Netzwerke zeigte, die eher mit Regelelaboration und –aufrechterhaltung einhergehen als mit Konfliktüberwachung und –lösung. Studie 3 untersuchte das Verhältnis von Handlungskontrolle und Arousalniveau. Toninduziertes Arousal verbesserte Leistung in inkompatiblen und kompatiblen Durchgängen, wobei letztere stärker begünstigt wurden. N1 und N2 im EEG wiesen darauf hin, dass die Effekte auf bessere frühe perzeptuelle Diskriminierung und Aufmerksamkeitszuteilung zurückgehen. / The present dissertation contains three studies that investigated the cognitive and neuronal basis underlying action control regulation prompted by prior conflicts, cues predicting conflict, as well as the state of arousal. These studies were based on inference paradigms involving trials that either induced response conflict (incompatible trials) or did not (compatible trials). Study 1 examined whether behavioral adjustments due to the trial sequence are equivalent to expectancy-based adjustments triggered by cues predicting compatibility. Behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) measures showed dissociation of these processes. The contingent negative variation (CNV), a pre-target EEG component indexing task anticipation, further indicated that sequence-related control adjustments already act in the intertrial interval. Study 2 focused on processes and neural substrates underlying cue-based anticipatory control. Cues predicting compatibility effectively benefitted behavioral performance, enhanced the pre-target CNV, and reduced post-target conflict-related processing, as indicated by the N2 component. In contrast to the control condition, indicators of response conflict were absent, a result pointing to conflict preemption strategies (a priori avoidance of conflict via transformation of condition-action rules). Functional neuroimaging fostered this conclusion by showing the involvement of neuronal networks associated with rule elaboration and maintenance rather than with conflict monitoring or resolution. Study 3 investigated the interrelation of action control and the state of arousal. Tone-induced arousal improved performance in both incompatible and compatible trials, whereas the latter ones were relatively more accelerated. N1 and N2 in EEG indicated that these effects are due to enhanced early perceptual discrimination and attentional allocation.

<p>Förmågan att prestera under akut eller kraftig stress är en förutsättning för en del yrken. Forskningsresultaten gällande hur stress påverkar prestation pekar åt olika håll. Denna studie undersökte sambandet mellan fysiologisk arousal och kognitiv problemlösningsförmåga under stress. Trettiotvå polisstudenter testades på Ravens test av flytande intelligens APM set II både före och efter att antingen ha sprungit i tjugo minuter eller haft en självskyddslektion på ca fyrtio minuter. Resultaten från en mixed ANOVA för beroende mätningar visade på en signifikant interaktionseffekt (F (30) = 6,547, p < 0,05) – en ökning i prestationen hos självskyddsgruppen med arton procent och en minskning med femton procent hos löpningsgruppen. En möjlig förklaring till skillnaden i prestation kan vara att självskyddsträningen ger upphov till en annorlunda mental och kognitiv aktivering än löpningen. Graden av arousal kunde vidare inte förklara skillnaderna mellan grupperna och begreppets användbarhet i detta sammanhang kan kanske ifrågasättas.</p>

Att tidsperceptionen är påverkbar har tidigare påvisats. Studien syftar till att undersöka huruvida tidsperceptionen påverkar fartperceptionen, med hypotesen att när interna taktgivaren går snabbare uppfattas farten som lägre. 28 försöksdeltagare fick under fyra betingelser (Lugn, Stressig, Egen musik och Tyst) utföra tids- och fartestimationer under bilfärd. Inga signifikanta resultat påvisades ifråga om vare sig tidsperceptionen eller dess inverkan på fartperceptionen. Däremot skilde sig prospektiv estimation av medelfart åt beroende på betingelsen. Tyst betingelse befrämjade mer korrekt fartestimation, stressig musik och egen musik gjorde estimationen mindre korrekt. Likt tidigare forskning var det fråga om ”response expansion” avseende upplevelsen av deceleration medan fartupplevelsen var relativt linjär i fråga om konstant fart och acceleration. Då inga signifikanta skillnader i tidsperception uppnåddes kan dess inverkan på fartperceptionen ej förkastas. Studien bör replikeras med en annan på förhand testad stressor. / Time perception has been shown to be influenceable. This study aims to investigate whether time perception affects speed perception, with the hypothesis that when the internal pacemaker have a faster pace, speed are perceived as lower. 28 participants performed time and speed estimations while they were passengers in a car. These were made under four conditions (Calm, Stressful, Own music, Quiet). No significant results were found in terms of whether time perception or its impact on speed perception. However the prospective estimation of speed differed depending on condition. Quiet condition promoted more accurate speed estimation, stressful music, and own music made the estimation less accurate. Similar to previous research, there was an effect of "response expansion" for the experience of deceleration while speed experience was relatively linear in terms of constant speed and acceleration. Since no differences in time perception was achieved, their impact on speed perception can not be rejected. The study should be replicated with another pre-tested stressor.

Förmågan att prestera under akut eller kraftig stress är en förutsättning för en del yrken. Forskningsresultaten gällande hur stress påverkar prestation pekar åt olika håll. Denna studie undersökte sambandet mellan fysiologisk arousal och kognitiv problemlösningsförmåga under stress. Trettiotvå polisstudenter testades på Ravens test av flytande intelligens APM set II både före och efter att antingen ha sprungit i tjugo minuter eller haft en självskyddslektion på ca fyrtio minuter. Resultaten från en mixed ANOVA för beroende mätningar visade på en signifikant interaktionseffekt (F (30) = 6,547, p &lt; 0,05) – en ökning i prestationen hos självskyddsgruppen med arton procent och en minskning med femton procent hos löpningsgruppen. En möjlig förklaring till skillnaden i prestation kan vara att självskyddsträningen ger upphov till en annorlunda mental och kognitiv aktivering än löpningen. Graden av arousal kunde vidare inte förklara skillnaderna mellan grupperna och begreppets användbarhet i detta sammanhang kan kanske ifrågasättas.

Die Psychologie der Lebensspanne und die Soziologie des Lebensverlaufs betonen die Bedeutung von Kontexten für den Erwerb individueller Fähigkeiten und die Entwicklung im Leben. In Übereinstimmung mit diesen konzeptionellen Annahmen zeigen Studien, dass verschiedene Kontexte die Entwicklung individueller Bereiche beeinflussen. Jedoch ist wenig darüber bekannt, wie kontextuelle Faktoren in der zweiten Lebenshälfte Wohlbefinden formen und wie Wohlbefinden in diesen Lebensphasen von sich schnell verändernden Kontexten beeinflusst wird. In dieser Dissertation werden unter Anwendung des Ökosystemischen Ansatzes von Bronfenbrenner drei Kontexte unterschiedlicher Proximität untersucht, in die die Entwicklung des individuellen Wohlbefindens eingebettet ist. Als erster Kontext wird die vielfältige Ökologie des Lebens und Sterbens in den ehemaligen Regionen Ost- und Westdeutschland herangezogen, um herauszufinden wie dieses Makrosystem Wohlbefinden in den letzten Lebensjahren gestaltet. Als zweiter Kontext wird die Bedeutung des Exosystems von Gesundheitseinrichtungen in Landkreisen (z.B. Anzahl stationärer Pflegereinrichtungen) auf Wohlbefindensverläufe am Lebensende beleuchtet. Als dritten Kontext untersuchen wir, wie das Mikrosystem sozialer Ökologien und Situationen momentanes, affektives Wohlbefinden gestaltet, sowie Altersunterschiede in diesen Assoziationen. Gemeinsam zeigen die drei Studien dieser Dissertation, dass Ökologien auf regionaler, dienstleistender und sozialer Kontextebene Entwicklung von Wohlbefinden in der zweiten Lebenshälfte beeinflussen. Diese Arbeit zeigt, dass Kontexte sowohl kognitives als auch affektives Wohlbefinden und innerhalb des letzteren sowohl Valenz und Aktivierung beeinflussen, und untersucht länger- und kurzfristige Kontext-Wohlbefindens-Assoziationen in späteren Lebensphasen. Die Ergebnisse liefern erste Vorschläge für Interventionen und veränderbare regionale Faktoren für die Erhaltung oder Verbesserung von Wohlbefinden. / Lifespan psychology and life course sociology have long acknowledged the role of context for individual functioning and development throughout life. Consistent with these conceptual notions, empirical studies show that various contextual factors influence development of individual-level outcomes. However, we know little about how contextual factors shape individual-level well-being and how well-being is influenced by fast changing contexts in the second half of life. Applying Bronfenbrenner’s model of human ecology as the overarching theoretical frame, this dissertation examines three sets of contexts that differ in the degree of proximity in which individual well-being and its development is embedded in. As a first context, the multifaceted ecology of living and dying in former regions of East and West Germany is used to investigate how the macrosystem shapes individual well-being in the last years of life. For a second context, the role of the exosystem of county-level health care features (e.g., number of inpatient care facilities) on late-life trajectories in well-being is examined. As a third context, we examine how the microsystem of social ecologies and situations influences momentary affective well-being and how these associations differ across age. Jointly, the three studies in this dissertation show that regional, service, and social ecologies profoundly shape development in well-being during the second half of life. To conclude, this dissertation shows that these contexts influence both cognitive and affective components of well-being, among the affective domain two facets (valence and arousal), and investigates long-term and short-term contextwell- being associations in later life phases. Results provide initial suggestions for interventions and malleable regional factors to maintain or improve well-being.

Nearly all functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies are conducted in the supine body posture, which has been discussed as a potential confounder of such examinations. The literature suggests that cognitive functions, such as problem solving or perception, differ between supine and upright postures. However, the effect of posture on many cognitive functions is still unknown. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of body posture (supine vs. sitting) on one of the most frequently used paradigms in the cognitive sciences: the N-back working memory paradigm. Twenty-two subjects were investigated in a randomized within-subject design. Subjects performed the N-back task on two consecutive days in either the supine or the upright posture. Subjective sleep quality and chronic stress were recorded as covariates. Furthermore, changes in mood dimensions and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed during the experiment. Results indicate that the quality of sleep strongly affects reaction times when subjects performed a working memory task in a supine posture. These effects, however, could not be observed in the sitting position. The findings can be explained by HRV parameters that indicated differences in autonomic regulation in the upright vs. the supine posture. The finding is of particular relevance for fMRI group comparisons when group differences in sleep quality cannot be ruled out.