Amygdala activity at encoding correlated with long-term, free recall of emotional information.

Positron emission tomography of cerebral glucose metabolism in adult human subjects was used to investigate amygdaloid complex (AC) activity associated with the storage of long-term memory for emotionally arousing events. Subjects viewed two videos (one in each of two separate positron emission tomography sessions, separated by 3-7 days) consisting either of 12 emotionally arousing film clips ("E" film session) or of 12 relatively emotionally neutral film clips ("N" film session), and rated their emotional reaction to each film clip immediately after viewing it. Three weeks after the second session, memory for the videos was assessed in a free recall test. As expected, the subjects' average emotional reaction to the E films was higher than that for the N films. In addition, the subjects recalled significantly more E films than N films. Glucose metabolic rate of the right AC while viewing the E films was highly correlated with the number of E films recalled. AC activity was not significantly correlated with the number of N films recalled. The findings support the view derived from both animal and human investigations that the AC is selectively involved with the formation of enhanced long-term memory associated with emotionally arousing events.

The hard-soft acid-base principle in enzymatic catalysis: dual reactivity of phosphoenolpyruvate.

In this paper, the chemical reactivity of C3 of phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) has been analyzed in terms of density functional theory quantified through quantum chemistry calculations. PEP is involved in a number of important enzymatic reactions, in which its C3 atom behaves like a base. In three different enzymatic reactions analyzed here, C3 sometimes behaves like a soft base and sometimes behaves like a hard base in terms of the hard-soft acid-base principle. This dual nature of C3 of PEP was found to be related to the conformational change of the molecule. This leads to a testable hypothesis: that PEP adopts particular conformations in the enzyme-substrate complexes of different PEP-using enzymes, and that the enzymes control the reactivity through controlling the dihedral angle between the carboxylate and the C==C double bond of PEP.

Developing Emotional Security Among Children Who Have Been Adopted

This study investigated the development of emotional security among 6-10 year old children who have been adopted by exposing them to an experimental condition during which they could engage with either a live dog or a robotic dog. The live dog was a certified therapy dog; the robotic dog was a FurReal® toy marketed by Hasbro as "Biscuit." Utilizing a mixed-method embedded experimental design, the experimental condition was intentionally structured to promote engagement between the participant and the dog or robot. 43 children who had been adopted from the child welfare system were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group was exposed to a therapy dog (n=22), while another was exposed to the social robotic dog (n=21). The development of emotional security was targeted for measurement in this study using the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test," a test of social understanding that has been linked in the literature to oxytocin- a hormone premised to be a marker of the development of emotional security. Physiological anxiety was also measured as an indicator of emotional security using the Revised Child Manifest Anxiety Scale-2 (RCMAS-2). Both measures were administered before and after exposure to the experimental condition. A linear mixed-effect regression analysis showed that for boys only, there was a significant effect of engagement with either companion on social understanding (p<.01). Social understanding decreased as engagement increased. A second model indicated that for boys only, their history of animal cruelty had a significant effect on physiological anxiety (p<.05). If boys had an animal cruelty history, their anxiety was reduced after the exposure to either the dog or robot. Interpretations of the findings suggest that there are differences among children who have been adopted and have a history of animal cruelty that differentially influences their development of emotional security. Social work interventions designed for practice with children who have been adopted will need to assess the presence of these variations and develop appropriate treatment protocols.

Mitigating Risk For Anxiety Among Preschool-Age Children Living In Poverty: Evaluating The Impact Of Adult-Provided Social Support On Autonomic Stress Reactivity

Poverty increases children's exposure to stress, elevating their risk for developing patterns of heightened sympathetic and parasympathetic stress reactivity. Repeated patterns of high sympathetic activation and parasympathetic withdrawal place children at risk for anxiety disorders. This study evaluated whether providing social support to preschool-age children during mildly stressful situations helps reduce reactivity, and whether this effect partly depends on children's previously assessed baseline reactivity patterns. The Biological Sensitivity to Context (BSC) theory proposes that highly reactive children may be more sensitive than less reactive children to all environmental influences, including social support. In contrast, conventional physiological reactivity (CPR) theory contends that highly reactive children are more vulnerable to the impact of stress but are less receptive to the potential benefits present within their social environments. In this study, baseline autonomic reactivity patterns were measured. Children were then randomly assigned to a high-support or neutral control condition, and the effect of social support on autonomic response patterns was assessed. Results revealed an interaction between baseline reactivity profiles and experimental condition. Children with patterns of high-reactivity reaped more benefits from the social support in the experimental condition than did their less reactive peers. Highly reactive children experienced relatively less reactivity reduction in the neutral condition while experiencing relatively greater reactivity reduction in the support condition. Despite their demonstrated stability over time, reactivity patterns are also quite susceptible to change at this age; therefore understanding how social support ameliorates reactivity will further efforts to avert stable patterns of high-reactivity among children with high levels of stress, ultimately reducing risk for anxiety disorders.

A Qualitative Study on Successful African American Marriages on How They Create and Repair Attachment Injuries Using Emotional Skillfulness.

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the meanings that Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee Davis attribute to how they have adapted to their marriage and overcame conflict over the years. A purposive sample of this well-known African American married couple, who self-identified as being in a long-term, successful marriage, was used. The subjects of study were married for 56 years. An analysis using Colaizzi's (1978) method revealed 2 themes, with 13 and 2 subthemes respectively. The themes that emerged from the analysis of the formulated meanings were: (1) secrets to a successful marriage; and (2) sources of conflict in marriage. Secrets to a successful marriage included 13 subthemes: (a) egalitarian roles; (b) commitment; (c) forgiveness; (d) communication; (e) love; (f) honesty; (g) understanding the struggles of Black males and females; (h) friendship; (i) religion/ support from God; (j) compromise; (k) beliefs that marriage is a process; (l) emotional availability of spouse; and (m) feelings of security. In addition, the theme sources of conflict in marriage had two subthemes: (a) different decision making styles; and (b) experiences of abandonment. These findings provided insight from this couple's perspective on the secrets to a successful marriage and the ways in which they managed to make their marriage work, in light of the unique challenges that face African American marriages.

Weight-Based Emotional Abuse: Self Psychological Implications for Treatment

The aim of this paper is to provide evidence that overweight individuals are at increased risk for emotional abuse compared to their normal weight counterparts. Studies examining weight-based discrimination and bullying demonstrate examples of emotional abuse aimed at overweight individuals. The psychological difficulties associated with emotional abuse, such as symptoms of anxiety, depression and social difficulties, are reviewed. It is hypothesized that similar psychological difficulties are experienced when obese persons experience weight based emotional abuse. A self psychological conceptualization is applied to understand the effect emotional abuse has on one's sense of self. A treatment proposal, which aims to utilize self-object transferences to strengthen the self, is offered. Future research for the application of self psychology in a group therapy format is discussed.

Inteligencia emocional y empatía: su influencia en la competencia social en Educación Secundaria Obligatoria

La finalidad del presente trabajo es analizar las relaciones existentes entre la competencia social y la inteligencia emocional en estudiantes de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria. Así mismo, también nos proponemos analizar el papel de la empatía y sus relaciones con la competencia social y la inteligencia emocional, ya que en la mayoría de los estudios existentes aparece relacionada de un modo u otro con estos constructos. Los participantes en nuestro estudio fueron 110 estudiantes de primer ciclo de ESO. Los instrumentos empleados fueron: el test EQ-i:YV de BarOn (1997), el Cuestionario Matson de habilidades sociales para adolescentes (Matson, Rotatori, y Helsel, 1983) y el Interpersonal Reactivity Index, IRI (Davis, 1983). Las técnicas de análisis de datos incluyen: análisis de correlación, análisis de regresión múltiple paso a paso y análisis de regresión múltiple de tipo jerárquico. Los resultados obtenidos nos permiten identificar un conjunto de variables que están directamente implicadas en la Competencia social.

Perceived emotional intelligence, general intelligence and early professional success: predictive and incremental validity

Although the study of factors affecting career success has shown connections between biographical and other aspects related to ability, knowledge and personality, few studies have examined the relationship be-tween emotional intelligence and professional success at the initial career stage. When these studies were carried out, the results showed significant relationships between the dimensions of emotional intelligence (emotional self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness or social skills) and the level of professional competence. In this paper, we analyze the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence, measured by the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS-24) questionnaire, general intelligence assessed by the Cattell factor "g" test, scale 3, and extrinsic indicators of career success, in a sample of 130 graduates at the beginning of their careers. Results from hierarchical regression analysis indicate that emotional intelligence makes a specific contribution to the prediction of salary, after controlling the general intelligence effect. The perceived emotional intelligence dimensions of TMMS repair, TMMS attention and sex show a higher correlation and make a greater contribution to professional success than general intelligence. The implications of these results for the development of socio-emotional skills among University graduates are discussed.

Study of dopamine reactivity on platinum single crystal electrode surfaces

Dopamine is the biological molecule responsible, among other functions, of the heart beat and blood pressure regulation. Its loss, in the human body, can result in serious diseases such as Parkinson's, schizophrenia or depression. Structurally, this molecule belongs to the group of catecholamines, together with epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline). The hydroquinone moiety of the molecule can be easily oxidized to quinone, rendering the electrochemical methods a convenient approach for the development of dopamine biosensors. The reactivity of similar aromatic molecules, such as catechol and hydroquinone, at well-ordered platinum surfaces, has recently been investigated in our group. In this paper, we extend these studies to the structurally related molecule dopamine. The study has been performed in neutral pH, since this is closer to the natural conditions for these molecules in biological media. Cyclic voltammetry and in situ infra-red spectroscopy have been combined to extract information about the behavior of this molecule on well-defined platinum surfaces. Dopamine appears to be electrochemically active and reveals interesting adsorption phenomena at low potentials (0.15–0.25 V vs RHE), sensitive to the single crystal orientation. The adsorption of dopamine on these surfaces is very strong, taking place at much lower potentials than the electron transfer from solution species. Specifically, the voltammetry of Pt(1 1 1) and Pt(1 0 0) in dopamine solutions shows an oxidation peak at potentials close to the onset of hydrogen evolution, which is related to the desorption of hydrogen and the adsorption of dopamine. On the other hand, adsorption on Pt(1 1 0) is irreversible and the surface appears totally blocked. Spectroscopic results indicate that dopamine is adsorbed flat on the surface. At potentials higher than 0.6 V vs RHE the three basal planes show a common redox process. The initial formation of the quinone moiety is followed by a chemical step resulting in the formation of 5,6-dihydroxyindoline quinone as final product. This oxidation process has also been investigated by vibrational spectroscopy.

Probing the Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Reaction Reactivity of Immobilized Multicopper Oxidase CueO

The bioelectrocatalytic (oxygen reduction reaction, ORR) properties of the multicopper oxidase CueO immobilized on gold electrodes were investigated. Macroscopic electrochemical techniques were combined with in situ scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy at the ensemble and at the single-molecule level. Self-assembled monolayer of mercaptopropionic acid, cysteamine, and p-aminothiophenol were chosen as redox mediators. The highest ORR activity was observed for the protein attached to amino-terminated adlayers. In situ STM experiments revealed that the presence of oxygen causes distinct structure and electronic changes in the metallic centers of the enzyme, which determine the rate of intramolecular electron transfer and, consequently, affect the rate of electron tunneling through the protein. Complementary Raman spectroscopy experiments provided access for monitoring structural changes in the redox state of the type 1 copper center of the immobilized enzyme during the CueO-catalyzed oxygen reduction cycle. These results unequivocally demonstrate the existence of a direct electronic communication between the electrode substrate and the type 1 copper center.

Does Trait Emotional Intelligence Predict Unique Variance in Early Career Success Beyond IQ and Personality?

In order to determine the contribution of emotional intelligence (EI) to career success, in this study, we analyzed the relationship between trait EI (TEI), general mental ability (GMA), the big five personality traits, and career success indicators, in a sample of 130 graduates who were in the early stages of their careers. Results from hierarchical regression analyses indicated that TEI, and especially its dimension “repair,” has incremental validity in predicting one of the career success indicators (salary) after controlling for GMA and personality. These findings provide support for the use of TEI measures as predictors of career success in the early stage.

Differences between the personal, social and emotional profiles of teaching and computer engineering professionals and students

The evidence suggests that emotional intelligence and personality traits are important qualities that workers need in order to successfully exercise a profession. This article assumes that the main purpose of universities is to promote employment by providing an education that facilitates the acquisition of abilities, skills, competencies and values. In this study, the emotional intelligence and personality profiles of two groups of Spanish students studying degrees in two different academic disciplines – computer engineering and teacher training – were analysed and compared. In addition, the skills forming part of the emotional intelligence and personality traits required by professionals (computer engineers and teachers) in their work were studied, and the profiles obtained for the students were compared with those identified by the professionals in each field. Results revealed significant differences between the profiles of the two groups of students, with the teacher training students scoring higher on interpersonal skills; differences were also found between professionals and students for most competencies, with professionals in both fields demanding more competencies that those evidenced by graduates. The implications of these results for the incorporation of generic social, emotional and personal competencies into the university curriculum are discussed.

Profiles of emotional intelligence and learning strategies in a sample of Chilean students

In the last few years, one of the lines of research of great interest in the field of emotional intelligence (EI) has been the analysis of the role of emotions in the educational context and, in particular, their influence on learning strategies. The aims of this study are to identify the existence of different EI profiles and to determine possible statistically significant differences in learning strategies between the obtained profiles. The study involved 1253 Chilean school students from 14 to 18 years (M = 15.10, SD = 1.30), who completed the Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24 (TMMS-24) and the Inventory of Learning and Study Strategies—High School version (LASSI-HS). Cluster analysis identified four EI profiles: a group of adolescents with a high EI profile, a group with predominance of low emotional attention and high repair skills, a group with high scores on attention and low scores on clarity and repair, and a final group of adolescents with low EI. Also, students in groups with high overall scores in EI and low attention and high repair emotional obtained higher scores on the different learning strategies; however, the effect size analysis showed that these differences had no empirical relevance.

How to Use Cooperative Learning for Assessing Students’ Emotional Competences: A Practical Example at the Tertiary Level

Cooperative learning allows students acquisition of competences that are essential for the labour market such as leadership, critical thinking, communication, and so on. For this reason, different cooperative activities were designed in a language subject in English Studies so that students could work in groups and acquire those competences. This article describes some such activities and the emotional competences that students acquire with them. Moreover, a survey was conducted in order to establish students’ opinions about the main competences they acquired with the activities designed and their opinion about a cooperative methodology. Students’ answers were positive and they were aware of what they had learned.