A Different Kind of Tension:Foreign Language Anxiety From a Positive Psychology Perspective

This study investigates anxiety in foreign language learning from a positive psychology perspective,and in doing so,it considers some of the ways in which anxiety can interact with other aspects of language learner psychology to contribute to improved learning outcomes and improved learner well-being.The paper reports on a small-scale mixed-method study of English learners at a university in northern Japan.It shows how for many learners some of the most anxiety-provoking episodes were also the most rewarding and enjoyable,suggesting a need to reconsider simplistic accounts that present anxiety as an impediment to successful language learning.This is done by shifting to a positive psychology perspective.The paper concludes with a tentative model of how anxiety,when reframed as tension,can function as a core component of a more productive language learning experience.

Intraregional Agricultural Characteristics Critical in Explaining Farmland Abandonment:Evidence from Chugoku and Shikoku Region of Japan

Since the 1980 s,Japan has witnessed an unprecedented decline in agriculture chiefly due to farmers’aging,depopulation,and unfavorable socio-economic conditions.This development has resulted in an increase of farmland abandonment(FLA)across the country.However,it remains unclear as to how and to what extent FLA is influenced by intraregional agricultural characteristics.As such,this article discusses the issue of FLA by taking a closer look at the Chugoku and Shikoku region,as it has experienced the highest FLA rates in Japan in recent years.For this analysis,a total of 25 indicators retrieved from the census of agriculture and forestry at the former municipalities scale were selected to describe intraregional agricultural characteristics.We employed principal component analysis(PCA)to evaluate agricultural characteristics,while multiple linear regressions(MLR)was applied to explore their correlations with FLA and spatial variations.First,there are strong intraregional differences in the agricultural characteristics across the Chugoku and Shikoku region,with eight different principle components(PCs)describing their characteristics.Second,variables measuring agricultural characteristics explain nearly 52.8%of the variation in FLA in our sample.The sales orientation and scale of agriculture have the strongest negative correlation to FLA in the region,while the status of agricultural succession displays the strongest positive correlation to FLA.Third,in areas where agriculture is more stable and easier to maintain,FLA is more strongly influenced by changes in agricultural characteristics than by geographical variations.We argue that localized approaches and policies for future management need to take intraregional differences in agricultural characteristics and FLA into account.Our findings help to explain spatial variations in agricultural characteristics and FLA in regional contexts,suggesting the need for better-informed farmland use policies to mitigate further abandonment.

Variation in the <i>DRD2</i>gene affects impulsivity in intertemporal choice

Introduction: Impulsivity in intertemporal choice has been operationalized as “delay discounting,” referring to the preference for a sooner, smaller reward in neuroeconomics. It is reportedly associated with the dopaminergic systems. Dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) is the D2 subtype of the dopamine receptor of the G-protein coupled receptor family. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DRD2 gene on delay discounting. Methods: The participants consisted of 91 healthy Japanese people (66 males and 25 females with a mean age of 40.9 ± 6.9 years). Each participant completed the Kirby’s monetary choice questionnaire (MCQ) for delayed gain and donated a whole blood sample. Two SNPs (C957T (rs6277) and TaqI A (rs1800497)) in DRD2 were genotyped by using the DigiTag2 assay. SNP linear regression analyses with 100,000 permutations were conducted for the hyperbolic time-discount rate (k). Results: The SNP C957T showed a significant association;participants with more minor alleles (T) were more impulsive in intertemporal choice for delayed gain (multiplicity-corrected P = 0.041 with a small effect size). Conclusion: The variation in the DRD2 gene is associated with impulsive decision-making. This is the first study to demonstrate an association between DRD2 and impulsivity in intertemporal choice with a multiplicity-corrected significance.

Dopamine receptor D4 gene (DRD4) is associated with gazing toward humans in domestic dogs (<i>Canis familiaris</i>)

Dogs show high social communicative ability in interactions with humans. We investigated the association between dogs’ social communicative behavior and the polymorphisms of a gene related to a neurotransmitter. We used an “unsolvable task”, in which an experimenter put a food reward into a container and closed it firmly so that dogs could not remove the reward. Human-directed gazing, possibly to request help, is a characteristic behavioral trait of dogs in such situations. The association between owner-directed gazing behavior in the unsolvable task and polymorphisms of three regions (exon1, exon3, intron2) in the dopamine receptor D4 gene (DRD4) was analyzed. We found that the genotype of DRD4 intron2 was significantly associated with the dogs’ gazing behavior. Dogs carrying shorter allele (P) looked at their owner more frequently, for longer, and earlier than dogs carrying longer allele (Q). This result suggests that polymorphism in DRD4 intron2 may affect social communication and cognition in dogs.

Dead trees as an indicator in tourism risk monitoring at primate ecotourism

Primate ecotourism has become an important conservation tool.Based around tourists observing primates in their natural habitat,it can provide multiple benefits(Lebrão et al.2021).Appropriate ecotourism can improve local residents’living conditions and economic level,heighten awareness about animal conservation,and increase funding for the latter(Stronza et al.2019).