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Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Rhode Island, 2008. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-169).

This study aimed to demonstrate how negative affect is linked with stereotypic thinking in hiring decisions made in everyday situations. Participants (n = 788) will be randomly assigned to each condition. Each participant will be given a neutral emotion inducing picture or an anger emotion inducing picture, followed by either a white or black candidate resume with the same qualifications, and then asked how likely they are to hire the candidate. Results would most likely suggest that anger leads to increased stereotypic thinking in hiring decisions. Future studies may decide to investigate 1) a wider array of negative emotions and 2) a more diverse set of candidates (e.g. examining effects of gender or race).

Stereotypes in captive elephants is a widespread issue. Ways to tackle this is with social and feedenrichment among others. The aim of this study was to investigate if extra feed supply wouldaffect stereotypic behaviour in Asian elephants held in captivity. Three elephant cows wereprovided with extra feed and recorded during the night and morning. The results showed asignificant decrease in stereotypic behavior for one of the elephants, from 31% to 9,5% (P =0,003). While the second elephant did not engage in stereotypic behaviour, the third elephantshowed the same frequency of stereotypic behavior, 9%, during both baseline and treatment. Thethird elephant did increase her foraging significantly, from 31% to 54% (P = 0,02). Waken timespent foraging increased for all three elephants to 64-80% which is in the same range as in wildAsian elephants. Additional enrichment in the form of extra feed supply can be used both todecrease stereotypic behaviours and to increase foraging.

The present investigation examined the effects of a parent's intervention to teach students with autism self-management to decrease their stereotypic behaviors. A time-lagged ABA (A represents the first baseline, B does intervention, and A does the second baseline) design was used. Three mothers of children with autism were trained to reduce their children's stereotypic behaviors using a self-monitoring strategy. The training for the parent was conducted in two settings after the first baseline condition. A classroom was used for the first training session and the home was used for the second training session. The intervention by the parent was conducted in the child's natural home. The results of this study revealed the following. First, the intervention decreased the students ' stereotypic behaviors. Second, two students maintained the decreased frequency of stereotypic behavior in a nonintervention condition, the second baseline, when the parent withdrew the intervention for a month. Third, the students showed slight behavior change on their interactive behaviors with their family members after the intervention was withdrawn.

Stereotypic behaviour is considered an indicator of compromised welfare. We have conducted studies to test the controversial hypothesis that stereotypic behaviour helps animals to cope with challenges. We proposed that animals that do not express stereotypies could be under more compromised welfare, than the ones showing the behaviour, when exposed to difficult situations. Rather than asking to the animal if stereotypies are indicating good welfare, we assessed the effects on foetal programming. This study investigated the outcomes of stereotypies measured in sows (Sus scrofa) during gestation in shaping their offsprings phenotype measuring both behavioural and physiological indicators of welfare. Environmental enrichment is an efficient protocol, acting in the causal factors of stereotypies, such as motivational systems, to reduce repetitive, invariant behavioural patterns, defined as stereotypies. We demonstrated that stereotypies in pregnant sows are related with a reduction in fear indicators in their offspring. Then, we showed that environmental enrichment, in the last third of gestation, improved the welfare of sows and also the welfare in their offspring. Comparing the brain of the offspring of sows kept in enriched and non-enriched environments and comparing non-enriched sows performing stereotypies with non-enriched sows not showing stereotypies, we identified eight genes related with neuroplasticity and psychiatric diseases, which were differentially methylated. The main contribution of this study is that maternal stereotypic behaviour during gestation decreases fear indicators and alters the neuroepigenome of the limbic system of the offspring. As far as we know, this is the first evidence showing that stereotypies expressed by the mother during gestation did affect offsprings emotionality, in which the mechanism were epigenetic changes in the brain. / O comportamento estereotipado é considerado um indicador de comprometimento do bemestar. Nós conduzimos estudos para testar a controversa hipótese de que o comportamento estereotipado ajuda os animais a lidar com desafios. Propusemos que animais que não expressam estereotipias possam estar sob um bem-estar mais comprometido do que aqueles que demonstram o comportamento, quando expostos a situações difíceis. Ao invés de perguntar ao animal se as estereotipias estão indicando um bem-estar adequado, avaliamos os efeitos na programação do feto. Este estudo investigou os resultados de estereotipias em fêmeas suínas (Sus scrofa) durante a gestação no fenótipo da prole, acessando indicadores comportamentais e fisiológicos. O enriquecimento ambiental é um protocolo eficiente, atuando nos fatores causais de estereotipias, como os sistemas motivacionais, para reduzir padrões comportamentais repetitivos e invariantes, definidos como estereotipias. Nós demonstramos que estereotipias em suínas prenhes estão relacionadas com uma redução nos indicadores de medo na prole. Em seguida, mostramos que o enriquecimento ambiental, no último terço da gestação, melhorou o bem-estar das porcas e também o bem-estar de seus filhos. Comparando o cérebro da prole de porcas mantidas em ambientes enriquecidos e não enriquecidos e comparando porcas não enriquecidas realizando estereotipias com porcas não enriquecidas sem estereotipias, foram identificados oito genes relacionados com a neuroplasticidade e doenças psiquiátricas, que foram diferencialmente metilados. A principal contribuição deste estudo é que o comportamento estereotipado materno durante a gestação diminui os indicadores de medo e altera o neuroepigenoma do sistema límbico da prole. Até onde sabemos, esta é a primeira evidência mostrando que estereotipias expressas pela mãe durante a gestação afetaram a emocionalidade da prole, na qual o mecanismo era uma mudança epigenética no cérebro.

Animals in zoos live in more barren environments than their conspecifics in nature. In nature, elephants spend more than 75 % of the day foraging and have been observed lying down two hours during night. Stereotypies are common in many different species in zoos. Stereotypic behaviors may constitute up to 50 % of the daily activity budget of zoo elephants. Modern zoos try to reduce stereotypic behaviors by means of environmental enrichment. Three elephant cows at Kolmårdens Djurpark were observed during night to map their nocturnal behaviors and see how they changed with feeding enrichment. The elephants were lying down on their sides 25 % of the time observed. With feeding enrichment offered in the morning, the stereotypies was reduced in one individual from 43 % to 13 % (P<0.01) and the foraging was increased in two individuals from 45 % to 80 % (P<0.01) and from 45 % to 64 % (P<0.05). Increased food access increased foraging behavior and as environmental enrichment was able to reduce the stereotypic behaviors in these Asian elephant.

Schizophrenia is a debilitating and costly mental illness. Many patients do not respond well to currently available treatments, and adverse side effects are common. Cannabidiol (CBD), a natural component of the Cannabis Sativa plant, has been shown to have a number of therapeutic qualities, including potential as a new antipsychotic. Although CBD has been used in several different models of schizophrenia, previous research has failed to consider possible sex differences in responsiveness to the compound. The present research therefore used both male and female rats in the widely used ketamine model of schizophrenia. PVG/C Hooded rats were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions: a saline only control group (saline injection followed by second saline injection; N = 6M, 6F); ketamine only group (ketamine injection followed by saline injection; N = 6M, 6F); cannabidiol low dose group (ketamine injection followed by a cannabidiol injection of 10mg/kg; N = 6M, 6F); and a cannabidiol high dose group (ketamine injection followed by a cannabidiol injection of 20mg/kg; N = 6M, 6F). Behavioural testing occurred in a Y-maze and open-field, where both normal and stereotyped behaviours were recorded, as well as locomotor activity and spatial memory. Ketamine successfully induced stereotypy but failed to induce hyperlocomotion. Findings support the potential antipsychotic effects of CBD, particularly for reducing stereotypic behaviour in females. Results found data trends that suggest sex differences in responsiveness to CBD when administered with ketamine, although further research is needed due to lack of statistical significance.

Psittacines and reptiles are exotic animals that are difficult to care for and it requires extra knowledge to make a correct assessment of their wellbeing. An animal welfare inspector, with an education in general animal welfare, may not have a deep enough knowledge of exotic animals to do a proper assessment of the animal’s general condition and its environment. In this paper it was therefore examined if animal welfare inspectors have enough knowledge to do a satisfying inspection of establishments working with selling of exotic animals. A literature study was used to examine difficulties with each species. A survey was sent to chosen county administrations to get information of existing educations/knowledge and pet shops were interviewed to see how the inspectors’ knowledge is perceived. This is done to make an estimation of the demand for this knowledge in big and small counties and how the demand is met. This paper came to the conclusion that even though the county administration may not have this specific knowledge, pet shops felt it was enough to do their job. They did in some cases feel it would be desirable to get more guidance and advices from them. The county administrations also have a clear plan for how to handle cases where expert knowledge, that they may not possess, is needed. / Exotiska djur i Sverige utgörs oftast av reptiler och färggranna fåglar från andra delar av jorden. Detta gör att deras behov och beteende skiljer sig från de mer vanliga sällskapsdjuren.De är svåra att undersöka och har högre krav på en, för dem, naturlig miljö. Då de ursprungligen kommer från andra delar av jorden har de andra krav på de abiotiska faktorerna, som till exempel temperatur och fuktighet. Då dessa krav och behov kan variera stort mellan olika arter krävs det en fördjupad kunskap för att garantera en god miljö för respektive djur. Samma kunskap behövs av djurskyddsinspektören för att kontrollera att dessa behov tillgodoses. En litteraturstudie utfördes för att ta reda på hur exotiska djurs behov och beteende skiljer sig från vanliga sällskapsdjur och vilka problem som kan uppstå vid dålig djurhållning. Fyra länsstyrelser valdes ut och fick svara på en enkät med frågor om utbildning/kunskap och hur de hanterade ärenden med exotiska djur. Djurbutiker med försäljning av exotiska djur i valda län ringdes upp och frågades om hur de uppfattat inspektörerna vid kontroll. Resultatet visade att djurbutikerna tyckte att djurskyddsinspektörernas kunskap om exotiska djur var tillräcklig för att kunna göra kontroller. Det fanns dock en önskan om en högre kunskap för en bättre kommunikation och rådgivning för att få hjälp att skapa en välfärd utöver det lagen kräver. Resultaten visade också en skillnad i hur djurbutikerna uppfattade inspektörens syfte med tillsynen. Alla län hade en välgenomtänkt plan för hur de hanterar fall där extra kunskap behövs. En slutsats som framkom under arbetet var att länsstyrelsen bör utveckla sitt existerande register för att lättare kunna kolla vilka arter som finns i olika djurbutiker och hur många anmälningar det kommit in angående vissa djurslag och arter. Detta skulle det göra det lättare att göra riktade kontroller med en inspektör med rätt kunskap.

The collection of paintings and drawings constituting the thesis exhibition The Anxious Actor are rooted within the visual language of contemporary realist figurative painting and drawing, with a focus on the male body. Traditionally in western culture, the depiction of the human form, both male and female, has sought to reinforce hierarchical constructions and meta-narratives implicit in religious and imperialistic structures. I paint and draw my own body as subject, exploring personal narratives that contradict these pre-existing notions. As a queer man interested in the vocabulary of realist figurative painting, my body is a catalyst for my fascination with stereotypic masculine portrayals.<p> Utilizing historic themes of male bravado, heroism and narcissism I juxtapose the mundane realities of everyday contemporary life. My narratives are situated within the complex visual languages of Neo-classical, Baroque, Rococo and Renaissance style painting. These specific pictorial vocabularies add both psychological and metaphoric weight to my conceptual process; locating my marginalized identity within historic and contemporary archetypes.