When meaning in life protects against fear of death: The moderating role of self-alienation.

OBJECTIVE: A sense of meaning in life (MIL) is thought to help protect people against experiencing explicit anxiety about death. However, the experience of meaning is complex and subjective and may relate to death anxiety in nuanced ways. We examine how self-alienation-a feeling of not knowing/being disconnected from one's self-might moderate the relationship between MIL and death anxiety. METHOD: Across five studies, we tested the hypothesis that MIL would negatively predict death anxiety more strongly for people relatively low in self-alienation. These studies were similar in design and included exploratory, confirmatory, and pre-registered tests. RESULTS: A meta-regression across our five studies (N = 2001) provided clear evidence that MIL was most strongly associated with lower death anxiety at low self-alienation. We also observed that MIL was positively associated with death anxiety at high self-alienation. These effects were consistent in direction but inconsistent in strength. CONCLUSIONS: We interpreted these results as evidence that MIL is existentially protective when experienced in combination with a relatively strong, clear, and connected sense of self. In contrast, MIL may be existentially problematic when people feel relatively unaware and disconnected from themselves. These findings align with aspects of terror management theory and highlight the potentially complex ways that MIL might relate to death anxiety.

The Science of Meaning in Life.

Meaning in life has long been a mystery of human existence. In this review, we seek to demystify this construct. Focusing on the subjective experience of meaning in life, we review how it has been measured and briefly describe its correlates. Then we review evidence that meaning in life, for all its mystery, is a rather commonplace experience. We then define the construct and review its constituent facets: comprehension/coherence, purpose, and existential mattering/significance. We review the many experiences that have been shown to enhance meaning in life and close by considering important remaining research questions about this fascinating topic.

Accessing Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP): Perceptions of Current and Potential PrEP Users in Birmingham, Alabama.

Limited studies to date assess barriers to and facilitators of PrEP uptake and utilization using a patient-centered access to care framework, among diverse socio-demographic groups, or in the U.S. Deep South, an area with disproportionate HIV burden. We examine perceptions of PrEP access in qualitative interviews with 44 current and potential PrEP users in Birmingham, Alabama. Participants were 32 years old on average, 66% Black, 66% gay or lesbian, 70% male, and 66% single. Perceived barriers to PrEP access included: lack of PrEP awareness and advertisement; sexuality-related stigma; time and resource constraints; and concerns about the adequacy and technical quality of PrEP services. Perceived facilitators to PrEP access were: PrEP-related information gathering and sharing; increased dialogue and visibility around PrEP; social, programmatic, and clinical support; and, lastly, self-preservation; personal motivation; and treatment self-efficacy. Results point to opportunities to address complex barriers to equitable PrEP access using multilevel and multimodal solutions.

True self-alienation positively predicts reports of mindwandering.

Two studies assessed the relationship between feelings of uncertainty about who one truly is (i.e., true self-alienation) and self-reported task-unrelated thoughts (i.e., mindwandering) during performance tasks. Because true self-alienation is conceptualized as the subjective disconnect between conscious awareness and actual experience, we hypothesized that greater feelings of true self-alienation would positively relate to subjective reports of mindwandering. Two convergent studies supported this hypothesis. Moreover, this relationship could not consistently be accounted for by the independent influence of other aspects of authenticity, negative mood, mindfulness, or broad personality dimensions. These findings suggest that individual differences in true self-alienation are reliably associated with subjective reports of mindwandering. The implications of these findings for the true self-alienation construct, the ways that personality relates to mindwandering, and future research directions focused on curtailing mindwandering and improving performance and achievement are discussed.

Judgments of Meaning in Life, Religious Beliefs, and the Experience of Cognitive (Dis)Fluency.

The primary aim of the current studies was to test whether religiousness interacted with self-reported levels of meaning in life (MIL) to predict the ease or difficulty in judging one's MIL, the search for meaning itself, and religious doubt. Undergraduate students in Study 1 (N = 111) and adult participants recruited online in Study 2 (N = 206) completed measures of religious beliefs, MIL, cognitive fluency related to MIL, and related variables. Study 3 merged these data sets. In Study 4 (N = 255), online participants completed measures of religious beliefs, cognitive fluency related to religious beliefs, and MIL. Studies 1 and 2 showed that highly religious people with lower MIL reported greater difficulty making their MIL judgments than other people. Study 3 showed that they were also more likely to search for MIL and that disfluency mediated this effect. Study 4 demonstrated that they also reported more difficult judgments of religious beliefs and more religious doubts than their religious peers with high MIL. The current studies demonstrate that the experience of ease or difficulty associated with MIL judgments represents an important yet largely unexamined aspect of MIL. Our findings have implications for understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying responses to meaning threats.

Experiencing versus contemplating: Language use during descriptions of awe and wonder.

Awe and wonder are theorised to be distinct from other positive emotions, such as happiness. Yet little empirical or theoretical work has focused on these emotions. This investigation explored differences in language used to describe experiences of awe and wonder. Such analyses can provide insight into how people conceptualise these emotional experiences, and whether they conceptualise these emotions to be distinct from other positive emotions, and each other. Participants wrote narratives about experiences of awe, wonder and happiness. There were differences in the language used to describe these positive emotional states, consistent with the theorised functions of each emotion. Awe was related to observing the world, reflected in greater use of perception words. Wonder was related to trying to understand the world, reflected in greater use of cognitive complexity and tentative words. Language use for both emotions reflected an environmental focus, whereas language use for happiness reflected a social/relationship focus.

Distinguishing Vaccinium species by chemical fingerprinting based on NMR spectra, validated with spectra collected in different laboratories.

A method was developed to distinguish Vaccinium species based on leaf extracts using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Reference spectra were measured on leaf extracts from several species, including lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), oval leaf huckleberry (Vaccinium ovalifolium), and cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon). Using principal component analysis, these leaf extracts were resolved in the scores plot. Analysis of variance statistical tests demonstrated that the three groups differ significantly on PC2, establishing that the three species can be distinguished by nuclear magnetic resonance. Soft independent modeling of class analogies models for each species also showed discrimination between species. To demonstrate the robustness of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for botanical identification, spectra of a sample of lowbush blueberry leaf extract were measured at five different sites, with different field strengths (600 versus 700 MHz), different probe types (cryogenic versus room temperature probes), different sample diameters (1.7 mm versus 5 mm), and different consoles (Avance I versus Avance III). Each laboratory independently demonstrated the linearity of their NMR measurements by acquiring a standard curve for chlorogenic acid (R(2) = 0.9782 to 0.9998). Spectra acquired on different spectrometers at different sites classifed into the expected group for the Vaccinium spp., confirming the utility of the method to distinguish Vaccinium species and demonstrating nuclear magnetic resonance fingerprinting for material validation of a natural health product.

Guilty, but not ashamed: "true" self-conceptions influence affective responses to personal shortcomings.

The current research examined how true self-conceptions (who a person believes he or she truly is) influence negative self-relevant emotions in response to shortcomings. In Study 1 (N = 83), an Internet sample of adults completed a measure of authenticity, reflected on a shortcoming or positive life event, and completed state shame and guilt measures. In Study 2 (N = 49), undergraduates focused on true versus other determined self-attributes, received negative performance feedback, and completed state shame and guilt measures. In Study 3 (N = 138), undergraduates focused on self-determined versus other determined self-aspects, reflected on a shortcoming or neutral event, and completed state shame, guilt, and self-esteem measures. In Study 4 (N = 75), undergraduates thought about true self-attributes, an achievement, or an ordinary event; received positive or negative performance feedback; and completed state shame and guilt measures. In Study 1, differences in true self-expression positively predicted shame-free guilt (but not guilt-free shame) following reminders of a shortcoming. Studies 2-4 found that experimental activation of true self-conceptions increased shame-free guilt and generally decreased guilt-free shame in response to negative evaluative experiences. The findings offer novel insights into true self-conceptions by revealing their impact on negative self-conscious emotions.

Liking Predicts Judgments of Authenticity in Real-Time Interactions More Robustly Than Personality States or Affect.

We conducted three studies involving small group interactions (N = 622) that examined whether Big Five personality states, affect, and/or liking predict judgments of others' authenticity. Study 1 (n = 119) revealed that neither self-rated personality states nor affect predicted other-rated authenticity. Instead, other-rated liking was the only predictor of other-rated authenticity. Study 2 (n = 281) revealed that other-rated personality states and affect were significant predictors of other-rated authenticity, but other-rated liking was a more important factor in predicting other-rated authenticity than specific behaviors or affect. Based on these results, Study 3 (n = 222) examined whether experimental manipulation of likability had a causal effect on other-ratings of authenticity. Likable actors were indeed judged as more authentic. Together, this suggests that we judge people we like as more authentic and that likability may be more important than the "objective" content of behavior.

Distinguishing Ontario ginseng landraces and ginseng species using NMR-based metabolomics.

The use of (1)H-NMR-based metabolomics to distinguish and identify unique markers of five Ontario ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) landraces and two ginseng species (P. quinquefolius and P. ginseng) was evaluated. Three landraces (2, 3, and 5) were distinguished from one another in the principal component analysis (PCA) scores plot. Further analysis was conducted and specific discriminating metabolites from the PCA loadings were determined. Landraces 3 and 5 were distinguishable on the basis of a decreased NMR intensity in the methyl ginsenoside region, indicating decreased overall ginsenoside levels. In addition, landrace 5 was separated by an increased amount of sucrose relative to the rest of the landraces. Landrace 2 was separated from the rest of the landraces by the increased level of ginsenoside R(b1). The Ontario P. quinquefolius was also compared with Asian P. ginseng by PCA, and clear separation between the two groups was detected in the PCA scores plot. The PCA loadings plot and a t-test NMR difference plot were able to identify an increased level of maltose and a decreased level of sucrose in the Asian ginseng compared with the Ontario ginseng. An overall decrease of ginsenoside content, especially ginsenoside R(b1), was also detected in the Asian ginseng's metabolic profile. This study demonstrates the potential of NMR-based metabolomics as a powerful high-throughput technique in distinguishing various closely related ginseng landraces and its ability to identify metabolic differences from Ontario and Asian ginseng. The results from this study will allow better understanding for quality assessment, species authentication, and the potential for developing a fully automated method for quality control.

Authentic for Thee But Not for Me: Perceived Authenticity in Self-Control Conflicts.

Is self-control authentic? Across several hypothetical scenarios, participants perceived impulsive actions as more authentic for others (Study 1a) but self-control as more authentic for themselves (Study 1b). Study 2 partially replicated this asymmetry. Study 3 accounted for behavior positivity because self-control was typically the more positive action in the previous studies. Study 4 minimized the influence of positivity by framing the same behaviors as either impulsive or controlled; impulsive actions were deemed more authentic than self-control, but only for other people. An internal meta-analysis controlling for behavior positivity revealed that (a) more positive behaviors are more authentic, and (b) impulsive actions are more authentic than self-controlled actions, especially for others. This actor-observer asymmetry suggests that, even in the face of a strong tendency to perceive positive actions as authentic, there exists a competing tendency to view others' impulsive actions as more authentic than self-control.

Synovial fluid metabolomics in different forms of arthritis assessed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

OBJECTIVES: Currently there are no reliable biomarkers in the synovial fluid available to differentiate between septic and non-septic arthritis or to predict the prognosis of osteoarthritis, respectively. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is an analytical technique that allows a rapid, high throughput metabolic profiling of biological fluids or tissues. METHODS: Proton (1H)-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was performed in synovial fluid samples from patients with septic arthritis, crystal arthropathy, different forms of inflammatory arthritis or osteoarthritis (OA). The metabolic environment based on the low molecular weight components was compared in disease subsets and principal component analysis (PCA) was performed. RESULTS: Fifty-nine samples from patients with OA, gout, calcium pyrophosphate disease, spondylarthritis, septic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were analysed. NMR yielded stable and reproducible metabolites over time. Thirty-five different metabolites as well as paracetamol and ibuprofen were identified in synovial fluid. The metabolic profile of septic arthritis assessed by PCA was distinguishable from the other samples whereas no differences were seen in OA compared to crystal-associated arthritis, RA or spondylarthritis. CONCLUSIONS: 1H-NMR is a fast analytic tool with possible implications in synovial fluid diagnostics. A distinctive metabolism is observed in septic arthritis whereas metabolites in OA are similar to those in inflammatory arthritis.

Quantification of chlorogenic acid and hyperoside directly from crude blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) leaf extract by NMR spectroscopy analysis: single-laboratory validation.

A single-laboratory-validated NMR spectroscopy method was established for determining the quantity of chlorogenic acid and hyperoside from crude extract material of blueberry leaves of the species Vaccinium angustifolium var. laevifolium House. The calibration curve of chlorogenic acid showed a highly linear regression, R = 0.99998. NMR spectroscopy identification and quantification of the constituents directly from the mixture, within the error of HPLC-diode array detector analysis, were determined as 7.53 mM chlorogenic acid (64.0 mg chlorogenic acid/g powdered leaf) and 0.77 mM hyperoside (8.58 mg hyperoside/g powdered leaf). The LOD was calculated to be 0.01 mM and the LOQ 0.01 mM by the 9 min and 13 s NMR spectroscopy experiment utilized. The assay showed no significant interference from different field strengths, extraction mesh size, gravimetric scale precision, NMR spectroscopy tube type, pulse program, amount of starting dry material, or day-to-day operation. The robustness of NMR spectroscopy as a means of definitively monitoring chlorogenic acid and hyperoside content directly from crude extracts was demonstrated by Youden statistical analysis.

Meaning in Life and Pain: The Differential Effects of Coherence, Purpose, and Mattering on Pain Severity, Frequency, and the Development of Chronic Pain.

OBJECTIVE: Meaning in life is consistently associated with better health outcomes across a range of mental and physical domains. However, meaning in life is a complex construct involving three distinct facets: coherence, purpose, and mattering. While these facets have been studied individually in relation to pain, they have not been assessed concurrently to parse out their potential distinct contributions to pain outcomes. We sought to identify the unique relationships of these individual facets of meaning with pain experiences and specify the components associated with pain-related resilience. METHODS: The associations of coherence, purpose, and mattering with pain outcomes were examined across three studies. Study 1 used data from the Midlife in the United States National Survey to determine associations between facets and the frequency of various recently experienced pains, and the development of chronic pain nine years later. Study 2 cross-sectionally observed the association between facets and recent pain severity in young adults. Using a diary-type approach, Study 3 captured fluctuations of pain severity in relation to the facets across the span of four weeks. RESULTS: Coherence was uniquely associated with less headache, backache, joint, and extremities pain frequency in Study 1, over and above purpose and mattering, controlling for other health variables. Coherence was also associated with lower odds of developing chronic pain. In Study 2, coherence was associated with less pain severity and fully mediated the relationship between global meaning in life and pain. Study 3 found that coherence predicted the most unique variance in weekly pain fluctuations. CONCLUSION: Across three studies and timescales, coherence was uniquely associated with fewer and less severe pain experiences over and above purpose and mattering. These findings provide support for the value of coherence as a resilience factor in the context of pain and suggest a potential benefit for coherence-specific interventions in clinical settings.

Experiential appreciation as a pathway to meaning in life.

A key research program within the meaning in life (MIL) literature aims to identify the key contributors to MIL. The experience of existential mattering, purpose in life and a sense of coherence are currently posited as three primary contributors to MIL. However, it is unclear whether they encompass all information people consider when judging MIL. Based on the ideas of classic and contemporary MIL scholars, the current research examines whether valuing one's life experiences, or experiential appreciation, constitutes another unique contributor to MIL. Across seven studies, we find support for the idea that experiential appreciation uniquely predicts subjective judgements of MIL, even after accounting for the contribution of mattering, purpose and coherence to these types of evaluations. Overall, these findings support the hypothesis that valuing one's experiences is uniquely tied to perceptions of meaning. Implications for the incorporation of experiential appreciation as a fundamental antecedent of MIL are discussed.

An international study on psychological coping during COVID-19: Towards a meaning-centered coping style.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: This study examined the role of different psychological coping mechanisms in mental and physical health during the initial phases of the COVID-19 crisis with an emphasis on meaning-centered coping. METHOD: A total of 11,227 people from 30 countries across all continents participated in the study and completed measures of psychological distress (depression, stress, and anxiety), loneliness, well-being, and physical health, together with measures of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping, and a measure called the Meaning-centered Coping Scale (MCCS) that was developed in the present study. Validation analyses of the MCCS were performed in all countries, and data were assessed by multilevel modeling (MLM). RESULTS: The MCCS showed a robust one-factor structure in 30 countries with good test-retest, concurrent and divergent validity results. MLM analyses showed mixed results regarding emotion and problem-focused coping strategies. However, the MCCS was the strongest positive predictor of physical and mental health among all coping strategies, independently of demographic characteristics and country-level variables. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the MCCS is a valid measure to assess meaning-centered coping. The results also call for policies promoting effective coping to mitigate collective suffering during the pandemic.

ANTECEDENTES/OBJETIVO: Este estudio examinó el papel de diferentes estrategias de afrontamiento psicológico en la salud mental y física durante las fases iniciales de la crisis de COVID-19. MÉTODO: 11,227 personas de 30 países representando todos los continentes participaron en el estudio y completaron medidas de malestar psicológico (depresión, estrés y ansiedad), soledad, bienestar, salud física, medidas de afrontamiento centrado en el problema y en la emoción, y una medida denominada Escala del Afrontamiento Centrado en el Sentido (MCCS) que fue desarrollada en este estudio. El análisis de validación de la MCCS se realizó en todos los países, y los datos se evaluaron mediante un modelo multinivel. RESULTADOS: La MCCS mostró una estructura unifactorial en 30 países con buenos resultados de validez test-retest, concurrente y divergente. Los análisis mostraron resultados mixtos en cuanto a las estrategias de afrontamiento centradas en la emoción y en el problema. La MCCS fue el predictor positivo más fuerte de salud física y mental, independientemente de las características demográficas y las variables a nivel de país. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados sugieren que la MCCS es un insrumento fiable para medir afrontamiento centrado en el sentido. Estos resultados pueden servir para dirigir políticas que promuevan un afrontamiento eficaz con el fin de mitigar el sufrimiento colectivo durante la pandemia.

Metabolomics of microliter hemolymph samples enables an improved understanding of the combined metabolic and transcriptional responses of Daphnia magna to cadmium.

Omic technologies offer unprecedented opportunities to better understand mode(s)-of-toxicity and downstream secondary effects by providing a holistic view of the molecular changes underlying physiological disruption. Crustacean hemolymph represents a largely untapped biochemical resource for such toxicity studies. We sought to characterize changes in the hemolymph metabolome and whole-body transcriptome to reveal early processes leading to chronic toxicity in the indicator species, Daphnia magna, after 24-h sublethal cadmium exposure (18 µg/L, corresponding to 1/10 LC(50)). We first confirmed that metabolites can be detected and identified in small volumes (∼3-6 µL) of D. magna hemolymph using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy. Subsequently, mass spectrometry based metabolomics of hemolymph identified disruption to two major classes of metabolites: amino acids and fatty acids. These findings were compared to differentially expressed genes identified by a D. magna 44k oligonucleotide microarray, which included decreased levels of digestive enzymes and increased expression of cuticle proteins and oxidative stress response genes. The combination of metabolic and transcriptional changes revealed through KEGG pathway analysis and gene ontology, respectively, enabled a more complete understanding of how cadmium disrupts nutrient uptake and metabolism, ultimately resulting in decreased energy reserves and chronic toxicity.

Subliminal mere exposure and explicit and implicit positive affective responses.

Research suggests that repeated subliminal exposure to environmental stimuli enhances positive affective responses. To date, this research has primarily concentrated on the effects of repeated exposure on explicit measures of positive affect (PA). However, recent research suggests that repeated subliminal presentations may increase implicit PA as well. The present study tested this hypothesis. Participants were either subliminally primed with repeated presentations of the same stimuli or only exposed to each stimulus one time. Results confirmed predictions showing that repeated exposure to the same stimuli increased both explicit and implicit PA. Implications for the role of explicit and implicit PA in attitudinal judgements are discussed.

Mental health inequalities increase as a function of COVID-19 pandemic severity levels.

RATIONALE: Current evidence suggests that mental health across the globe has suffered significantly during the COVID-19 global pandemic, and that disadvantaged communities are suffering these impacts more acutely. Lower income, female gender, and younger age have all been associated with worse psychopathology during COVID-19. OBJECTIVE AND METHODS: The goal of this study was to determine whether these disparities are more pronounced in places where the pandemic is more severe. We analyzed self-report data and objective metrics from a large global sample (N = 11,227) in order to test the hypothesis that country-level severity of COVID-19 moderates the relationship between the target demographic variables (Subjective SES, gender and age) and psychopathology indicators. RESULTS: Severity of the pandemic emerged as a significant moderator of the relationship between these demographic variables and mental health outcomes. This pattern was extremely consistent for Subjective SES and gender, but slightly more nuanced for age. CONCLUSION: Overall, we interpreted our data as suggesting that mental health disparities are greater in countries with more severe COVID-19 outbreaks. These findings are critical for understanding the ways that the ongoing pandemic is affecting global mental health, and contribute to the broader literature surrounding collective trauma.

Death, life, scarcity, and value: an alternative perspective on the meaning of death.

That the scarcity of objects enhances their value is a widely known principle in the behavioral sciences. In addition, research has demonstrated that attaching high value to an object produces biased perceptions of its scarcity. Three studies applied this bidirectional link between scarcity and value to the meaning of death, testing the prediction that death represents the scarcity of life. In Study 1, reminders of death led to enhanced evaluations of life. In Studies 2 and 3, the monetary (Study 2) and psychological (Study 3) value of life were manipulated. In both studies, when human life was highly valuable, the concept of death was more accessible, as predicted from the association between value and scarcity. Previous theoretical treatments of the meaning of death have shared the notion that death is essentially a threat requiring psychological defenses. The present results suggest that, from an informational perspective, death represents the scarcity of life.