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Journal of Affective Disorders Feb 2022Anhedonia has long been theorized to be a multidimensional construct, focusing on domains of reward stimuli and temporal relationship to reward. However, little...
BACKGROUND
Anhedonia has long been theorized to be a multidimensional construct, focusing on domains of reward stimuli and temporal relationship to reward. However, little empirical work has directly examined whether there is support for this assertion.
METHODS
The study used data from young adults from four independent samples (n = 2098). Participants completed multiple measures of anhedonia.
RESULTS
We used rigorous conducted exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on items from six commonly used anhedonia measures to examine dimensions underlying anhedonia. Results suggested a four-factor solution with factors reflecting social reward, social disinterest, status/achievement, and physical/natural reward. The identified factors reflected broad content domains of pleasure, but not specific reward processes. The four factors were modestly associated with one another, suggesting a weak common underlying anhedonia trait that manifests across multiple dimensions. Factor scores were associated with personality measures, reward-related indices, and depression symptoms, supporting the validity of the factors.
LIMITATIONS
Participants were all young adults and we assessed anhedonia only at the level of self-report.
CONCLUSION
Anhedonia is a multidimensional construct. However, the dimensions of anhedonia only distinguish domains of, but not temporal processes of anhedonia. Future work should continue to refine the structures underlying the construct of anhedonia through iterative theory- and data-driven research and examine associations between anhedonia and clinical outcomes.
Topics: Anhedonia; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Humans; Pleasure; Reward; Self Report; Young Adult
PubMed: 34864118
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.11.069 -
Nature Reviews. Gastroenterology &... Jun 2024The ability to experience pleasurable sexual activity is important for human health. Receptive anal intercourse (RAI) is a common, though frequently stigmatized,... (Review)
Review
The ability to experience pleasurable sexual activity is important for human health. Receptive anal intercourse (RAI) is a common, though frequently stigmatized, pleasurable sexual activity. Little is known about how diseases of the colon, rectum, and anus and their treatments affect RAI. Engaging in RAI with gastrointestinal disease can be difficult due to the unpredictability of symptoms and treatment-related toxic effects. Patients might experience sphincter hypertonicity, gastrointestinal symptom-specific anxiety, altered pelvic blood flow from structural disorders, decreased sensation from cancer-directed therapies or body image issues from stoma creation. These can result in problematic RAI - encompassing anodyspareunia (painful RAI), arousal dysfunction, orgasm dysfunction and decreased sexual desire. Therapeutic strategies for problematic RAI in patients living with gastrointestinal diseases and/or treatment-related dysfunction include pelvic floor muscle strengthening and stretching, psychological interventions, and restorative devices. Providing health-care professionals with a framework to discuss pleasurable RAI and diagnose problematic RAI can help improve patient outcomes. Normalizing RAI, affirming pleasure from RAI and acknowledging that the gastrointestinal system is involved in sexual pleasure, sexual function and sexual health will help transform the scientific paradigm of sexual health to one that is more just and equitable.
Topics: Humans; Rectal Diseases; Colonic Diseases; Sexual Behavior; Anus Diseases; Pleasure; Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological
PubMed: 38763974
DOI: 10.1038/s41575-024-00932-1 -
Trends in Cognitive Sciences Feb 2021Why do some people enjoy being afraid? A recent study by Andersen et al. found an inverted U-shaped relationship between fear and enjoyment, consistent with the theory...
Why do some people enjoy being afraid? A recent study by Andersen et al. found an inverted U-shaped relationship between fear and enjoyment, consistent with the theory that the pursuit of pleasurable fear is a form of play.
Topics: Emotions; Fear; Humans; Pleasure
PubMed: 33339736
DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.12.001 -
Journal of Sex Research 2022Despite documented negative sexual health sequelae of unwanted sexual contact (USC), it is unclear why individuals who have experienced USC within the context of...
Despite documented negative sexual health sequelae of unwanted sexual contact (USC), it is unclear why individuals who have experienced USC within the context of intoxication (intoxication-related USC) are at particular risk for poor sexual functioning. Intoxication-related USC may impact relational factors like relationship satisfaction, as trauma symptoms interfere with emotional closeness during sex. Additionally, although individual traits - such as sexual excitation and sensation seeking - affect the relationship between trauma and sexual functioning, it is unknown whether these factors differentially impact those who have experienced intoxication-related USC. Finally, because presence of a partner may evoke trauma-related symptoms during partnered (dyadic) sexual activity, mediators may differ across solitary versus dyadic sexual pleasure and desire. We tested relational and individual trait mediators of the association between intoxication-related USC and solitary and dyadic sexual pleasure and desire in a sample of heterosexual and sexual minority women. Trait factors consistently mediated the association between intoxication-related USC and both dyadic and solitary desire and pleasure, while relational factors such as emotional closeness were inconsistently related to sexual wellbeing. If replicated, these findings would suggest that trait factors may be useful targets for clinical sexual wellness interventions among sexuality-diverse women who have experienced intoxication-related USC.
Topics: Female; Humans; Libido; Pleasure; Sexual Partners; Sexual Behavior; Heterosexuality
PubMed: 35262426
DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2030661 -
Journal of Personality Assessment 2021Are there individual differences in the tendency to enjoy tasks regardless of the tasks' contents or situational determinants? To answer this question, we constructed...
Are there individual differences in the tendency to enjoy tasks regardless of the tasks' contents or situational determinants? To answer this question, we constructed and validated the six-item Trait Task Enjoyment Scale (TTES). In Study 1, it had an internally consistent one-factor structure (pooled = 997); good test-retest reliabilities over 1 and 4 months; measurement invariance regarding gender (strong) and time (partial strong); and was not redundant with respect to a large number of theoretically related constructs. In Studies 2 and 3, the TTES predicted self-reported momentary task enjoyment, one of its opposites, boredom, and voluntary persistence in a free-choice paradigm. It did so for various tasks, including thirty diverse tasks presented in vignettes and a memory task in the lab. Results suggest that the TTES may predict momentary task enjoyment regardless of objective task aversiveness or, in this case, equally well for tasks with boring or enjoyable contents. The TTES addresses an important gap in current research on task enjoyment and is an adequately valid and reliable research tool.
Topics: Emotions; Humans; Individuality; Pleasure; Reproducibility of Results; Self Report
PubMed: 33656404
DOI: 10.1080/00223891.2021.1882473 -
Schizophrenia Bulletin Jun 2022Negative symptoms, particularly the motivation and pleasure (MAP) deficits, are associated with impaired social functioning in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ)....
Negative symptoms, particularly the motivation and pleasure (MAP) deficits, are associated with impaired social functioning in patients with schizophrenia (SCZ). However, previous studies seldom examined the role of the MAP on social functioning while accounting for the complex interplay between other psychopathology. This network analysis study examined the network structure and interrelationship between negative symptoms (at the "symptom-dimension" and "symptom-item" levels), other psychopathology and social functioning in a sample of 269 patients with SCZ. The psychopathological symptoms were assessed using the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS) and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Social functioning was evaluated using the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS). Centrality indices and relative importance of each node were estimated. The network structures between male and female participants were compared. Our resultant networks at both the "symptom-dimension" and the "symptom-item" levels suggested that the MAP factor/its individual items were closely related to social functioning in SCZ patients, after controlling for the complex interplay between other nodes. Relative importance analysis showed that MAP factor accounted for the largest proportion of variance of social functioning. This study is among the few which used network analysis and the CAINS to examine the interrelationship between negative symptoms and social functioning. Our findings supported the pivotal role of the MAP factor to determine SCZ patients' social functioning, and as a potential intervention target for improving functional outcomes of SCZ.
Topics: Female; Humans; Male; Motivation; Pleasure; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Reproducibility of Results; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenic Psychology; Social Interaction
PubMed: 35524755
DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbac017 -
The Journal of Sexual Medicine Apr 2020BDSM is an abbreviation used to reference the concepts of bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism, and masochism, enacted by power exchanges between...
BACKGROUND
BDSM is an abbreviation used to reference the concepts of bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism, and masochism, enacted by power exchanges between consensual partners.
AIM
To shed light upon the rewarding biological mechanisms associated with BDSM interactions.
METHODS
A group of 35 BDSM couples (dominant and submissive counterparts) were recruited and tested during a BDSM interaction, with an additional control group of 27 non-BDSM interested people tested in a normal social interaction.
OUTCOMES
We compared the evolution of the stress and reward hormone levels of cortisol, beta-endorphins, and endocannabinoids (2AG and anandamide) in a group of BDSM practitioners before and after an active BDSM interaction with the levels in control individuals.
RESULTS
We showed that submissives showed increases in cortisol and endocannabinoid levels due to the BDSM interaction, with dominants only showing increased endocannabinoid levels when the BDSM interaction was associated with power play.
CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
This study effectively provides a link between behavior that many think of as aberrant on one hand, and biological pleasure experience on the other, in the hope that it may relieve some of the stigma these practitioners still endure.
STRENGTHS & LIMITATIONS
It is one of the first and largest studies of its kind, but is still limited in sample size and only represents a specific population of Flemish BDSM practitioners.
CONCLUSION
Even though this is one of the first studies of its kind, we can conclude that there is a clear indication for increased pleasure in submissives when looking at biological effects of a BDSM interaction, which was related to the increases in experienced stress. Wuyts E, De Neef N, Coppens V, et al. Between Pleasure and Pain: A Pilot Study on the Biological Mechanisms Associated With BDSM Interactions in Dominants and Submissives. J Sex Med 2020;17:784-792.
Topics: Adult; Female; Humans; Male; Masochism; Middle Aged; Pain; Pilot Projects; Pleasure; Sadism; Sexual Behavior; Young Adult
PubMed: 32044259
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.01.001 -
International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2020The acoustic environment is one of the factors influencing emotion, however, existing research has mainly focused on the effects of noise on emotion, and on music...
The acoustic environment is one of the factors influencing emotion, however, existing research has mainly focused on the effects of noise on emotion, and on music therapy, while the acoustic and psychological effects of music on interactive behaviour have been neglected. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of music on communicating emotion including evaluation of music, and d-values of pleasure, arousal, and dominance (PAD), in terms of sound pressure level (SPL), musical emotion, and tempo. Based on acoustic environment measurement and a questionnaire survey with 52 participants in a normal classroom in Harbin city, China, the following results were found. First, SPL was significantly correlated with musical evaluation of communication: average scores of musical evaluation decreased sharply from 1.31 to -2.13 when SPL rose from 50 dBA to 60 dBA, while they floated from 0.88 to 1.31 between 40 dBA and 50 dBA. Arousal increased with increases in musical SPL in the negative evaluation group. Second, musical emotions had significant effects on musical evaluation of communication, among which the effect of joyful-sounding music was the highest; and in general, joyful- and stirring-sounding music could enhance pleasure and arousal efficiently. Third, musical tempo had significant effect on musical evaluation and communicating emotion, faster music could enhance arousal and pleasure efficiently. Finally, in terms of social characteristics, familiarity, gender combination, and number of participants affected communicating emotion. For instance, in the positive evaluation group, dominance was much higher in the single-gender groups. This study shows that some music factors, such as SPL, musical emotion, and tempo, can be used to enhance communicating emotion.
Topics: Arousal; China; Communication; Emotions; Humans; Music; Pleasure
PubMed: 32268523
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17072499 -
International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2022With the proliferation of live streaming, there is evidence that online impulse buying is becoming an emerging phenomenon. Although many studies have investigated...
With the proliferation of live streaming, there is evidence that online impulse buying is becoming an emerging phenomenon. Although many studies have investigated impulse buying in the context of offline shopping and business-to-consumer e-commerce, online impulse buying in live streaming has attracted little attention. In this study, we aim to explore the effect of social presence in live streaming on customer impulse buying based on the stimulus-organism-response framework. The research model presented here identifies pleasure and arousal as the mediation of impulse buying in live streaming. We use the AMOST and IBM SPSS PROCESS software to estimate our model based on data at the minute level from 189 customers, who watched live streaming in the past three months. The results suggest that the social presence of the broadcaster and the social presence of the live streamer positively affect impulse buying directly and indirectly via pleasure and arousal, promoting consumer online impulse buying in live streaming, but the social presence of the viewers has no significant effect on pleasure and arousal. For practice, our results can help policymakers and operators of the live streaming platform alleviate impulse buying in the digital world.
Topics: Arousal; Commerce; Consumer Behavior; Pleasure
PubMed: 35410059
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19074378 -
Acta Neuropsychiatrica Oct 2022The multiplicity and complexity of the neuronal connections in the central nervous system make it difficult to disentangle circuits that play an essential role in the... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
The multiplicity and complexity of the neuronal connections in the central nervous system make it difficult to disentangle circuits that play an essential role in the development or treatment of (neuro)psychiatric disorders. By choosing the evolutionary development of the forebrain as a starting point, a certain order in the connections can be created. The dorsal diencephalic connection (DDC) system can be applied for the development of biomarkers that can predict treatment response.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
After providing a brief introduction to the theory, we examined neuroanatomical publications on the connectivity of the DDC system. We then searched for neurochemical components that are specific for the habenula.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The best strategy to find biomarkers that reflect the function of the habenular connection is to use genetic variants of receptors, transporters or enzymes specific to this complex. By activating these with probes and measuring the response in people with different functional genotypes, the usefulness of biomarkers can be assessed.
CONCLUSIONS
The most promising biomarkers in this respect are those linked to activation or inhibition of the nicotine receptor, dopamine D4 receptor, μ-opioid receptor and also those of the functioning of habenular glia cells (astrocytes and microglia).
Topics: Humans; Pleasure; Happiness; Receptors, Dopamine D4; Nicotine; Biomarkers
PubMed: 35587050
DOI: 10.1017/neu.2022.15