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Appraisal of accountability and intentionality of action, and of degree of damage, as predictors of anger and sadness, and of their regulation
No full textAnger, a basic emotion, is typically elicited by negative events that constitute obstacles to one’s own goals, including the integrity of one’s own valued possessions.
AIMS AND HYPOTHESES. The study tested, with reference to developmental changes, whether the appraisals of an agent’s accountability and intentionality in damaging one’s own property, moderated by damage seriousness, contribute to define children’s and pre-adolescents’ anger intensity, and related sadness at the loss, and to shape their behaviours toward the agent, as well as their behavioural regulation.
METHOD. Subjects. The study tested 4 age groups: 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 14-15 year-olds; N total: 329, 160 males and 169 females.
Experimental stimuli and Procedure. In their own classroom, children judged each of 6 vignettes that varied for the extent of property Damage (2 levels: Small, Big) and peer agent’s Accountability and Intentionality (for short: Intentionality, 3 levels: Unintentional Accountability (agent damages object by accident), Unknown Accountability-Intentionality, Intentional Accountability (agent damages object out of envy)). For each vignette, children answered questions about how Angry, and Sad, they would feel, on a 5 point scale (not at all-very much), and Why (open control question, the answers to which were coded into a dozen of categories using a mixed top-down bottom-up method). Children also rated 8 behaviours (e.g, physical and verbal aggression, asking for adult intervention, talking with the agent, taking revenge, crying) as regards the extent to which they would Enact them, and Feel like enacting them, on a 3-point graphic scale (0= Little, I would do it/I would want to do it, 000=2, I would do it/I would want to do itvery much . The discrepancy between Enacted and Desired behaviours constitue a measure of Anger regulation.
RESULTS. FELT EMOTIONS: ANGER and SADNESS. The analyses of children’s answers showed that both Intentionality and Damage (repeated within-subjects measures) were significant factors: both Anger and Sadness were greater when the agent’s behavior was Intentional rather than Unintentional or Unknown (the latter two typically did not differ much), and the damage was Big rather than Small (e.g., the girl’s doll or the boy’s Power Ranger (8-year olds) , or the (14-year old’s) mobile phone are broken rather than damaged a little). Intentionality and Damage interacted significantly: a big damage elicited great anger even when done unintentionally, but intentional damage, irrespective of its seriousness, elicited the greatest anger. Age and sex often significantly interacted with the experimental factors, in the expected directions. For instance, 8-year-olds typically felt the lowest anger of all, and 14-year-olds the most if the damage was big. Gender did not differentiated anger for 14-year-olds when damage was small, whereas when damage was big boys felt more angry than girls irrespective of intentionality; at 12 years, boys were angrier than girls for small damage that was unintentional or of an unknown cause. Sadness typically obtained results similar to those found for anger (e.g, significant effects of both Intentionality and Damage; girls’ sadness typically was more intense than boys’, especially when the damage was intentional, and fr the two younger groups), but generally was less intense than anger.
MOTIVATIONS FOR FELT EMOTIONS. The analyses of children’s answers to the open questions on their Motivations for felt Anger clearly showed that children indeed took into account whether the damage had been intentional or not, and whether it could have been avoided, motivating their anger also with moral negative judgements both on the agent and on the act (mainly older subjects), especially if the damage was big; children further underlined the fact that the damaged obiect had a (economic or affective) value for them. Overall, in other words, the open-question answers confirmed the relevance of the two appraisal dimensions of Intentionality and Damage. Motivations for felt Sadness similarly evidenced the influence of the two appraisal dimensions, but showed less variability than the anger ones and focused mostly on the damaged object’s value (around 30 to 40 % of subiects for each story) and on the fact that it had been damaged, and, when the damage was big, on intentional accountability and on negative moral judgements of the agent.
ENACTED AND DESIRED BEHAVIOURS. The analyses of children’s ratings of the 8 behaviours on a 3 point scale again showed that insulting, asking for a reimbourse of the damaged object, calling in an adult, insulting the agent, and talking calmly about the action with the agent were the most frequently enacted behaviors (over all 6 vignettes, in decreasing order of enactment), whereas crying, hitting the agent, and breaking an agent’s object in turn were the least frequent. On average, males were more likely to enacht any behavior than females, and enactment linearly decreased with age. As expected, the likelyhood of a specific enacted behavior was influenced by both Intentionality and Damage, in the expected direction – e.g., talking calmly about the action with the agent were least likely when damage was intentional, either big or small, whereas all ‘aggressive’ behaviors were in the same conditions very likely. Generally speaking, girls were more likely than boys to enact socially acceptable behaviors. The ‘desired behaviors’, that is, what the child felt like doing, generally showed higher mean rating than the enacted behaviours, thus pointing out that anger tendencies are regulated. The discrepancy over all behaviors was greatest for the two intermediate age groups – 10- and 12-year-olds, a result that ought to be consired taking into account the fact that, as reported above, 8-year-olds were most likely to enact any behavior, and 14-year-olds the least likely. Age groups, at any rate, differed the most for the situation of small damage of unknown cause.
CONCLUSION. In sum the results obtained in this study - on the whole replicating those obtained in a previous one with a sample of 235 8- to 13-year-olds (Zammuner, 1993) - offer strong experimental support to the hypothesis – put forward recently also by appraisal theorists (e.g., Smith & Kirby 2004) that appraisals of an agent’s accountability and intentionality in provoking a damage, moderated by appraisals of damage seriousness, and thus of motivational relevance, contribute to define children’s and pre-adolescents’ anger and related sadness at the loss, and to shape their behaviours toward the agent, as well as their behavioural regulatio
Establishment of warm-season turfgrasses in a Mediterranean transition zone under simulated waterlogging
Full text linkThe Mediterranean region is expected to experience increased extreme precipitation events with the risk of inland flooding because of climate change. This may adversely affect the establishment of warm-season turf species, usually selected for low water consumption. A simulated waterlogging experiment was conducted at the University of Padua in northeastern Italy during the summers of 2017 and 2018. Four bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) cultivars (La Paloma, Transcontinental, SR 9554, and Jackpot), 'Pure Dynasty' seashore paspalum (Paspalum vaginatum Swartz), and 'SWI 2000' buffalograss [Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.] were compared under waterlogging conditions. The response of the three warm-season species to four waterlogging events during establishment at two different seeding rates was investigated. The number of seedlings, percentage green coverage, and NDVI were measured. At the end of the experimental periods, the dry weights of the above-ground biomass and roots were also determined. All the cultivars tested demonstrated high tolerance to waterlogging in the early stages of establishment. Moreover, they produced a significantly higher number of seedlings per unit area when sown at the higher seeding rate
Response of French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Cultivars to Foliar Applications of Magnesium
No full textMagnesium deficiencies have been shown to be particularly dangerous to short cycled crops, both on sandy andclay soils. Such deficiencies may be corrected by foliar fertilisations, but in French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) noexperimental data may be found to support this hypothesis. Therefore this paper was aimed at studying the effectof foliar Mg-applications (56, 112 and 224 g har in single application at flowering or splitted half dose at 4-leaÎstage and half at flowering) alone and with Zn (200 g ha 1) on yield and quality of two French bean genotypeslBronco. Cadillac).Èotar Mg-applications significantly increased pod yield and, considering the highest rate with respect to the untreated,*"fr un increase was 787o and 32o/o for Bronco and Cadillac, respectively. Split applications were also moreeffective, with yield increases of 109% and 50% for the two genotypes. Concerning qualìty, foliar Mg applicationsshowed a significant effect particularly on sugars, calcium, phosphate, sulphate and Mg contents in pods. On theother hand,-asignificant effèct on the accumulation of nitrates was noted, especially with split applications (L44%increasev s. unfertilised) and, in some casesa, n antagonistice ffect on K content (10-20% decreaseo n average).Foliar Mg fertilisation of French bean seemed to be a promising practice with reÎerence to human health and nutrition,tough some care is needed to avoid the accumulation of nitrates in pods. Split applications seemed to bemore effective. while the addition of Zn to the fertiliser mix did not give any relevant effect.[...
Influence of vegetable and mineral oils on the efficacy of some post-emergence herbicides for grass weed control in wheat
No full textTwo field experiments in central Italy on wheat showed that theapplication rate of clodinafop-propargyl could be significantly reducedto 1/2 of the labelled rate to control oats and canarygrass,with no loss in weed control efficacy. This reduction wasfavoured by the use of mineral or vegetable oil, with no apparentdifferences. No rate reduction of clodinafop-propargyl was possiblefor ryegrass, which needed at least the labelled rate plus vegetableor mineral oil to be satisfactorily controlled. A mixture ofdiclofop-methylfenoxaprop-p-ethyl could be effectively usedonly against oats controlled at 2/3 of the labelled rate. This mixturedid not prove effective against canarygrass, while it was effectiveagainst ryegrass only when applied at the maximum labelledrate mixed with vegetable or mineral oil.[...
Linear models for diallel crosses: a review with R functions
No full textKey message: A new R-software procedure for fixed/random Diallel models was developed. We eased the diallel schemes approach by considering them as specific cases with different parameterisations of a general linear model. Abstract: Diallel experiments are based on a set of possible crosses between some homozygous (inbred) lines. For these experiments, six main diallel models are available in literature, to quantify genetic effects, such as general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA), reciprocal (maternal) effects and heterosis. Those models tend to be presented as separate entities, to be fitted by using specialised software. In this manuscript, we reinforce the idea that diallel models should be better regarded as specific cases (different parameterisations) of a general linear model and might be fitted with general purpose software facilities, as used for all other types of linear models. We start from the estimation of fixed genetical effects within the R environment and try to bridge the gap between diallel models, linear models and ordinary least squares estimation (OLS). First, we review the main diallel models in literature. Second, we build a set of tools to enable geneticists, plant/animal breeders and students to fit diallel models by using the most widely known R functions for OLS fitting, i.e. the ‘lm()’ function and related methods. Here, we give three examples to show how diallel models can be built by using the typical process of GLMs and fitted, inspected and processed as all other types of linear models in R. Finally, we give a fourth example to show how our tools can be also used to fit random/mixed effect diallel models in the Bayesian framework
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in headache of children and adolescents: Open-label Italian study
No full textObjective.The aim of the present research is to evaluate and to compare various nutraceuticals and food supplements in the headaches prophylaxis. Background. Recently the use of complementary and alternative medicine, nutraceuticals and food supplements, in prophylaxis and attack therapy of headaches is spreading both in adulthood and in childhood age. Methods. 99 children, 6-17 years, females 44 and males 55, suffering from primary headaches and admitted to Headache Center in the years 2016- 2017 are the sample. 7 patients were excluded because they did not adhere to the study due to lack of therapeutic compliance and because they did not return to clinical controls. The patients referred to the Headache Center are selected consecutively. The open-label study evaluating clinical trial concerns the evaluation of the following parameters: headache diagnosis according to International Headache Society criteria (ICHD-III, 2013 beta version), migraine index; the prophylaxis and attack therapies at time zero and after 12 months. The compounds used to prophylaxis therapy are: Mg citrate, Mg oxide and Mg aspartate (compound n°1), Bisglycinate Mg + L-Tryptophan + Niacin + B2 Vitamin + D Vitamin (compound n°2), Oxide Mg + Partenium + Andrographis paniculata + coenzyme Q10, B2 Vitamin (compound n°3). Each compound was compared with the other to evaluate clinical efficacy. Attack therapy: Paracetamol, Ibuprofen, ketoprofen, Indomethacin. Informed consent was obtained for participation in the study by the parents of the children. Statistical analysis is made by Kruskal -Wallis test and analysis post hoc Conover. Results. 22 females and 24 males suffer from Migraine without aura, 9 females and 12 males from Migraine with Aura, 11 females and 14 males from Tension Type Frequent Headache. The therapy as with compounds n°1, 2 and 3 is effective in reducing migraine index and reduces the use of attack therapy in all the cases very significantly (p=0.000001). In MwoA the compound n° 1 is less effective than compounds n° 2 and 3(p=0.00089).In MA compound n° 3 is less effective than compounds n° 2 and 1 (p=0.0044). In FETTH, compound n° 3 is less effective compared to compound n° 2 (p=0.052). Conclusion. The use of nutraceuticals and food supplements appears to be effective and also encouraging as it is well accepted by parents and children themselves
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