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La substance grise périaqueducale (PAG) est une région cérébrale impliquée dans l’expression des réponses émotionnelles chez les mammifères et est décrite comme la structure de la stratégie d’adaptation comportementale (coping style) chez le rat et le chat. La PAG est composée de plusieurs subdivisions qui se distinguent par des spécificités fonctionnelles et anatomiques. En particulier, elles présentent des spécificités de connexions avec le reste du cerveau. Afin d’examiner la place de la PAG dans le circuit neuronal des émotions chez le mouton, animal grégaire, nous avons décrit les connexions de la PAG par traçage de voies et tractographie par imagerie par résonance magnétique de diffusion. Nous avons ainsi montré que la PAG ovine est composée de subdivisions qui ont des connexions avec des structures cérébrales impliquées dans les émotions. Ces résultats, cohérents avec ceux obtenus chez d’autres mammifères, placent la PAG dans le circuit neuronal des émotions. Notre étude montre également que l’organisation des connexions de la PAG ovine est d’avantage similaire à celles décrites chez des espèces sociales qu’à celles décrites chez des espèces territoriales et/ou prédatrices. Suite aux connaissances acquises dans ces études, nous pouvons maintenant initier des études fonctionnelles et ainsi confirmer le rôle de la PAG ovine dans les processus émotionnels. / The periaqueductal gray matter (PAG) is a brain region involved in the expression of emotional responses in mammals and is described as the structure of the coping style of behaviours in rats and cats. The PAG is composed of several subdivisions that are distinguished by functional and anatomical specificities. Particularly, they have connections specificities with the rest of the brain. In order to examine the place of the PAG in the neuronal circuit of emotions in sheep, a gregarious species, we described the PAG connections using neuronal tracer and tractography by diffusion magnetic resonance imaging. In this way, we have shown that the sheep PAG is composed of subdivisions which have connections with brain structures involved in emotions. These results, consistent with those obtained in other mammals, place PAG in the neuronal circuit of emotions. Our study also shows that the organization of the sheep PAG connections is more similar to those described in social species than those described in territorial and/or predatory species. Following the knowledge obtained in these studies, now we can initiate functional studies and thus confirm the role of the sheep PAG in emotional processes.

It has been shown in many species that individuals exhibit consistent differences in behaviour over time and/or across situations. These differences in behaviour are called personality. One way to categorise personality types typically used for rodents, is along a proactive-reactive gradient, which describes how individuals cope with stressful challenges. Proactive individuals pay less attention to their environment, form routines easily and take longer to adapt when routines are broken compared to reactive individuals. Avian species have to date rarely been described along this gradient, thus the generality of this description across species is unclear. The present study has investigated variation in proactivity-reactivity in red junglefowl chicks (Gallus gallus). To observe the chicks’ coping styles, a proactive-reactive test was conducted where the chicks were trained to form a routine, which was then broken. Their behavioural response to this was recorded and used as a measure for proactivity-reactivity. The behavioural response was then linked to individual behavioural variation in additional personality assays. Individuals that were more vigilant in the proactive-reactive test often uttered stress calls and took longer to complete the test. In contrast, individuals that walked more and did not utter stress calls had a shorter time to complete the test. These findings can be used to describe proactive red junglefowl chicks; those that are more stressed when routines are broken, compared to calmer reactive individuals. I found no difference in routine formation between proactive and reactive red junglefowl chicks, suggesting that what describes proactive and reactive individuals may vary across species.

Repressors, defined as individuals possessing an increased cortical sensitivity to anxiety-provoking stimuli combined with the tendency to avoid such stimuli, may be differentiated from low- and high-anxious individuals. This study investigated behavioral performance, electrophysiological reactivity (EEG), and cardiovascular reactivity (heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure) in three major coping style groups (repressors, low-anxious, and high-anxious) during low and high stressful conditions. Conditions were rest, cognitive stress (computerized Stroop Interference Task, with and without negative emotional stimuli), and physiological stress (cool water vs. ice cold water left hand immersions). Participants were 49 healthy, right handed university undergraduate women, chosen with Weinberger et al.'s (1979) criteria according to their differentially extreme scores on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale and the Spielberger Trait Anxiety Scale. Although mixed, findings supported the proposal that these three groups utilize differential attentional strategies and interpretive biases during both neutral and negative stimuli. In the word interference Stroop condition, reaction times (RTs) were longer for negative than neutral stimuli. Unexpected RT differences occurred in low and high error groups across the three coping styles. High error scoring repressors had longer RTs than low error/low-anxious; high-anxious/low error and high-anxious/high error groups did not differ. Repressors perceived the cold water as being less distressful and painful than the low- and high-anxious groups. No heart rate differences occurred. Diastolic and systolic blood pressure increased following cool and cold water immersion. Unexpectedly, the high-anxious group exhibited significantly lower diastolic blood pressure than the other groups, both at rest and following the stressors. EEG activation pattern differences were observed. During anticipation for cool immersion, in comparison to the high-anxious group, repressor and low-anxious groups showed less right parietal involvement suggestive of less arousal (Heller, 1993). During cool water immersion, frontal and parietal differences were observed across groups. During the Stroop Interference Task, repressors showed greater right frontal involvement than other groups. The data are most supportive of Eysenck and Derakshan's (1997) four-factor theory that proposes differential and attentional biases for these three groups. Suggestions for future research and practical applications in health fields are discussed. / Ph. D.

Research on North American and European students have reported moderate to severe levels of stress in more than 90% of students, which has been linked to negative health outcomes. However, there is a paucity of data on the stress of Caribbean students. Higher education in the Caribbean has undergone a transformation with wider access and higher enrollment; thus, it is important that the effects and characteristics of this transformation are researched and documented. Accordingly, the purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the experience of students in 2 year community colleges in the Caribbean. Using the theoretical foundation of Lazarus and Folkman's (1989) appraisal theory of stress, the research questions focused on the predictors of stress, socioeconomic differences in the levels of stress, and coping styles. The undergraduate stress questionnaire, the perceived stress scale, and the brief cope questionnaire assessed 150 students recruited through response to flyers posted on campuses. Data were analyzed using generalized linear model, ANOVA and MANOVA. Results indicated student status and marital status significantly predicted the stress level of students, but significant socioeconomic status differences in stress and coping styles did not. The research contributes to positive social change by helping to inform educators, administrators, and parents on the particular stressors students face, thus contributing to a better understanding of the phenomena of stress and coping among Caribbean students. It also broadens the body of research, extending it to populations outside of the North American and European contexts and providing valuable data for subsequent research.

Cette thèse est organisée en trois parties principales. La première partie de cette thèse a permis de mettre en évidence l’existence de coping style chez le bar, révélant des liens entre réponses comportementales et physiologiques suite à un stress. Les individus proactifs montraient une plus faible activation de l’axe HPI, résultant en une moindre augmentation des taux de cortisol plasmatique après un stress que les individus réactifs. Cependant, les liens entre traits de personnalité et activation des systèmes dopaminergiques et sérotoninergiques n’ont pas pu être clairement mis en évidence. Les tests individuels se sont révélés discriminants de la personnalité, mais n’ont pas permis d’observer des réponses cohérentes dans le temps en raison du caractère stressant de l’isolement chez cette espèce sociale. L’utilisation de tests en groupe est apparue mieux adaptée et a permis de caractériser un nombre important d’individus, étape nécessaire à toutes études visant à caractériser la variabilité génétique des traits comportementaux. La variabilité observée met en avant d’importantes capacités d’adaptation chez cette espèce. La seconde partie a mis en avant l’existence de liens entre traits de personnalité et stratégies d’approvisionnement en nourriture. L’analyse de la structure sociale chez cette espèce a mis en évidence une stratégie coopérative concernant l’acquisition de la nourriture avec une spécialisation de certains individus dans le groupe. Enfin, la troisième partie a permis l’observation de liens génétiques entre traits de personnalité et caractères phénotypiques, laissant entrevoir une possible sélection des caractères de personnalité dans un contexte de production piscicole. Le niveau de domestication s’est révélé avoir une influence sur les liens entre personnalité et potentiel de croissance. L’utilisation de ces coping styles et traits de personnalité pourrait être un outil supplémentaire pour améliorer le processus de domestication, permettant par exemple la sélection de coping styles divergents qui pourraient correspondre à des individus plus résistants aux maladies, ou mieux adaptés à leur environnement. / This thesis is organized in three principal parts. The first part of this thesis highlights the existence of coping style in seabass, revealing links between behavioral and physiological responses following a stress. The proactive individuals showed a weaker activation of the HPI axis, resulting in a lesser increase of plasmatic cortisol levels after a stress compared to reactive fish. However, the links between personality traits and activation of the dopaminergic and serotonergic systems could not be clearly demonstrated. The individual tests appeared discriminating personality, but did not allow observing coherent responses in time likely because of the stressing character of the isolated situation in this social species. The use of tests in group appeared better adapted and made it possible to characterize a significant number of individual, a necessary step when one aims at characterizing the genetic variability of the behavioural traits. Finally, variability observed underlined important adaptation capacities of this species. The second part demonstrated the existence of links between personality traits and feeding strategies. The analysis of the social structure highlighted a cooperative strategy concerning the acquisition of food with a specialization of certain individuals in the group. Lastly, the third part showed genetic correlations between coping styles, personality traits and phenotypes, letting foresee a possible selection of the personality traits in a production context. The level of domestication proved to have an influence on the links between personality and growth potential. The use of all these coping style and personality traits could be an additional tool to improve the process of domestication, allowing for example the selection of divergent coping styles which could correspond to individuals more resistant to diseases, or better adapted to their environment.

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo geral investigar as relações entre a Terapia Sociocomunitária, estilos de coping religioso/espiritual e qualidade de vida. A Terapia Sociocomunitária é uma intervenção psicossocial criada pela pesquisadora que utiliza a metodologia psicodramática de Moreno, a Técnica de Construção de Imagens (TCI) de Rojas-Bermudez e alguns elementos do enquadre terapêutico da Terapia Comunitária de Barreto. As referências teóricas e conceituais da pesquisa foram o Psicodrama (Moreno), os estudos de Coping Religioso e de Estilos de Coping de Pargament e a proposta de bem-estar psicológico de Ryff e Keyes. O desenho metodológico da pesquisa, ancorado na Metodologia Multidimensional de Morin e desenvolvido no formato de Estudo de Casos, de Yin, foi composto por oito participantes da Terapia Sociocomunitária; todas eram mulheres, com idade variando de 40 a 66 anos, que se declararam predominantemente evangélicas batistas. Como instrumentos metodológicos, foram utilizados questionário geral sobre dados sociodemográficos e vida religiosa dos participantes e entrevista de profundidade. Os resultados, obtidos a partir da Análise dos Sentidos de Aguiar e Ozella e explicitados através dos núcleos de significação, atestaram a relação entre a participação na Terapia Sociocomunitária e o incremento no uso do estilo de coping religioso colaborativo, bem como também evidenciaram-se mudanças no padrão religioso dos participantes, que apontaram para uma maior intimidade e liberdade com Deus e com as práticas religiosas. Verificou-se também uma melhor qualificação de vida dos participantes, expressa através dos seguintes elementos do bem-estar psicológico: a autoaceitação, o crescimento pessoal, o propósito de vida e o relacionamento positivo com outras pessoas. Conclui-se que esta pesquisa colabora para a produção de conhecimento tanto no campo da Psicologia da Religião quanto no campo das psicoterapias e dos estudos de qualidade de vida, mas propõe que, devido à sua restrita circunscrição, outros estudos devam ser realizados, ampliando assim os resultados aqui verificados no que se refere a um número maior de participantes, que sejam de ambos os sexos, com pessoas de outras adesões religiosas, a partir de outras abordagens interventivas e através de outros caminhos metodológicos, incluindo os estudos quantiqualitativos / The overall objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between the Socio-Community Therapy, spiritual/religious coping styles and quality of life. The Socio-Community Therapy is a psychosocial intervention created by the researcher who uses Moreno´s Psychodrama Methodology, the Rojas-Bermudez´s Image Construction Technique (ICT) and some elements of the therapeutic pattern of Barreto´s Community Therapy. The conceptual and theoretical references of the research were Psychodrama (Moreno), Pargaments studies of Religious Coping and Coping Styles, and Ryff´s and Keyes´ psychological well-being proposal. The research methodological design, anchored in Morin´s Multidimensional Methodology, and developed in the Yin case studies format, was composed of eight participants of the socio-community therapy, being all women aged 40-66, who declared themselves predominantly Evangelical Christian Baptists. A general questionnaire on sociodemographic and religious life of the participants and depth interview were used as methodological instruments. The results from the analysis of senses of Aguiar and Ozella, and expressed through the meaning core, testified the relationship between participation in the socio-community therapy and increased use of collaborative religious coping style, as well as demonstrated changes in the religious pattern of the participants that pointed to a greater intimacy and freedom with God and religious practices. There was also a better qualification of life of participants expressed through the following elements of psychological well-being: the self-acceptance, personal growth, life purpose and positive relationships with other people. It is concluded that this research contributes to the production of knowledge both in the field of Psychology of Religion and Psychotherapies, and studies of quality of life, however, due to its limited constituency it suggests that other studies should be conducted, expanding then the results verified here with regard to a greater number of participants that are of both genders, with people of other religious adhesions, from other interventional approaches and through other methodological approaches, including quanti-qualitative studies

<p>The aims are to investigate cancer patients' perceived satisfaction with a Group Rehabilitation (GR) intervention, to evaluate its effects, and to explore the extent to which the patient's coping style (monitoring, blunting) modulates the effects of the GR. An additional aim is to investigate to what extent some aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) [Physical Functioning (PF), Emotional Functioning (EF) and Global Quality of Life (QoL)] one year after diagnosis can be predicted on the basis of medical, socio-demographic and psychological data collected att diagnosis. Patients (n=481) newly diagnosed with breast, gastrointestinal or prostate cancer, were randomly assigned (Support-Care-Rehabilitation project) to one of four alternatives: 1. “Individual Support” (IS) starting at diagnosis; 2. “Group Rehabilitation” (GR) starting approximately four months later; 3. A combination of IS and GR; or 4. Standard Care (SC). All patients were monitored for two years. The GR comprised eight weekly sessions and one booster session after two months. The 2.5 hour meetings dealt with information about cancer, treatment, nutrition, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), light physical training and relaxation. Patients rated the physical and informative components as somewhat more beneficial than the CBT component. Meeting others was also rated as beneficial. However, there were limited effects on quality of life and anxiety. The monitoring concept was useful for distinguishing a subgroup of cancer patients (prostate cancer monitors) who benefited from the GR programme. Regression analyses demonstrated that the presence of advanced disease at diagnosis predicted a reduced physical function one year later. Having one or more comorbid conditions predicted lower PF and QoL, EF was predicted only by lower mental well-being and being classified as a case on the basis of the HADS. Indications for offering rehabilitative programs to cancer patients are critically discussed.</p>

The aims are to investigate cancer patients' perceived satisfaction with a Group Rehabilitation (GR) intervention, to evaluate its effects, and to explore the extent to which the patient's coping style (monitoring, blunting) modulates the effects of the GR. An additional aim is to investigate to what extent some aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) [Physical Functioning (PF), Emotional Functioning (EF) and Global Quality of Life (QoL)] one year after diagnosis can be predicted on the basis of medical, socio-demographic and psychological data collected att diagnosis. Patients (n=481) newly diagnosed with breast, gastrointestinal or prostate cancer, were randomly assigned (Support-Care-Rehabilitation project) to one of four alternatives: 1. “Individual Support” (IS) starting at diagnosis; 2. “Group Rehabilitation” (GR) starting approximately four months later; 3. A combination of IS and GR; or 4. Standard Care (SC). All patients were monitored for two years. The GR comprised eight weekly sessions and one booster session after two months. The 2.5 hour meetings dealt with information about cancer, treatment, nutrition, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), light physical training and relaxation. Patients rated the physical and informative components as somewhat more beneficial than the CBT component. Meeting others was also rated as beneficial. However, there were limited effects on quality of life and anxiety. The monitoring concept was useful for distinguishing a subgroup of cancer patients (prostate cancer monitors) who benefited from the GR programme. Regression analyses demonstrated that the presence of advanced disease at diagnosis predicted a reduced physical function one year later. Having one or more comorbid conditions predicted lower PF and QoL, EF was predicted only by lower mental well-being and being classified as a case on the basis of the HADS. Indications for offering rehabilitative programs to cancer patients are critically discussed.

Variation in animal personality, in other words, behavioural responses consistent within individuals over time and/or across contexts, is predicted to be related to life-history traits, such as growth rate and investment in reproduction. How this translates into relationships between personality and milk production in dairy cows is however scarcely investigated and previous studies are showing contradicting results. To further investigate this relationship, individual consistencies in behaviour were related to milk production in two breeds of dairy cows (Swedish red and white cattle, SRB, and Holstein). Variation was found among the breeds in consistency of behaviours and both SRB and Holstein cows were highly consistent over time in stepping behaviour during milking and frequency of performed abnormal behaviours in home pen. Overall were Holstein cows consistent in more observed behaviours than SRB. Variation in neophobia and responses to social separation were more flexible, both among breeds and over time. Nevertheless, behaviour showed limited relationship with milk production. To conclude, the tests here carried out are useful in describing personality in cows; however, personality showed no relationship with milk production, encouraging future studies to explore this expected relationship further in other breeds and species.