The two most common types of mindfulness are open monitoring (OM) meditation, describing the awareness of internal and external states, and focused attention (FA) meditation, when one fixates on a...Show moreThe two most common types of mindfulness are open monitoring (OM) meditation, describing the awareness of internal and external states, and focused attention (FA) meditation, when one fixates on a single stimulus while avoiding distractions. The effects of mindfulness have been well explored and show many beneficial effects. Theta oscillations, associated with learning and memory, increase during OM meditation. Mindfulness is also positively correlated with the trait novelty seeking, as well as openness to experience (OTE). In previous studies, these three variables have been found to interact. The influence of mindfulness on exploratory behaviour has not yet been explored, and research suggests that mindfulness may increase such behaviour. A sample of 39 participants took part in the current study, which was conducted over two consecutive days. Participants received a brief mindfulness intervention on day one or two, after which they explored either a familiar or novel virtual environment. Electroencephalogram (EEG) measures were recorded throughout. Theta power was found to be higher during the OM meditation compared to the control condition, eyes open at rest, suggesting that the current mindfulness intervention was successful in eliciting a mindfulness state by altering the levels of theta power in the brain. Regarding exploratory behaviour, no significant difference was found between those who experienced the meditation and those who did not. Additionally, no difference was found in terms of exploratory behaviour between those in the novel or familiar environment, after receiving the mindfulness intervention. Some reasons for this may be the nature of the mindfulness intervention being brief or not targeted enough at novelty. Further research avenues include exploring additional brain rhythm fluctuations during OM meditation, the influence of different experience levels with mindfulness on different behaviours, as well as whether age affects the influence mindfulness has on exploration behaviour and novelty.Show less
It has been suggested that power provides both opportunities for promoting the achievement of one's own goals and responsibilities for the outcomes of those who are dependent on the power-holder....Show moreIt has been suggested that power provides both opportunities for promoting the achievement of one's own goals and responsibilities for the outcomes of those who are dependent on the power-holder. In our study we investigated whether sex and gender identity influence the construal of power as either opportunity or responsibility in a variety of power contexts, while also examining the possible moderating role of personality traits. Power was manipulated by priming participants in a high or low power condition, by requesting them to describe a situation in which they felt powerful or powerless. There were also questions about the meaning they ascribed to that power, while their gender identity was measured by a recently developed scale. Our results showed that participants in the high power condition were more likely to construe their power as both an opportunity and a responsibility than the participants in the low power condition and that femininity is associated with the construal of power as a responsibility irrespective of the level of power. Females construed their power as a responsibility more than males only when we controlled for neuroticism, openness to experience and their stability of power. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.Show less
Objective: Loneliness has become an increasingly common phenomenon due to lockdowns put in place to minimize spread of COVID-19. The current body of literature suggests the relationship between...Show moreObjective: Loneliness has become an increasingly common phenomenon due to lockdowns put in place to minimize spread of COVID-19. The current body of literature suggests the relationship between loneliness and various Big-5 personality dimensions, except openness to experience. The current study aimed to fill this gap by investigating if there is a predictive effect of 1) openness to experience and 2) tolerance to uncertainty on loneliness during COVID-19 pandemic. It also aimed to investigate if this relation is influenced by gender. Methods: Responses from 349 participants were collected in anonymous online surveys at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim and at Leiden University. The survey was posted at online platforms and distributed amongst social media and the University Research Systems. Openness was assessed with the 10-Item Big Five Inventory (BFI10). Loneliness was measured with UCLA loneliness scale (ULS8). Intolerance of uncertainty was assessed with the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (UI18). Results: The results showed that higher BFI10 scores predicted higher ULS8 scores (loneliness) (B = .066, SE= .031, p =.036, 95% CI= [.004, .128]). Similarly, higher UI18 scores (intolerance of uncertainty) predicted higher scores on ULS8 (loneliness) (B = .298 , SE= .036, p =<.001, 95% CI= [.228, .369]). There was no significant effect of gender on loneliness. Conclusions: Our results show the importance of the personality trait openness and intolerance of uncertainty in predicting loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further investigation is is important to study this relationship using longitudinal designs and accounting for other personality characteristics.Show less
Generating emotional brand attachment is a central concern in the current marketing industry. Existing research has shown the high relevance of emotions in consumer–brand relationships. We propose...Show moreGenerating emotional brand attachment is a central concern in the current marketing industry. Existing research has shown the high relevance of emotions in consumer–brand relationships. We propose that the emotion awe makes people feel connected to brands, because awe causes people to feel interconnected. The aim of this research was to investigate the relationship between music, awe and brand attachment. Participants in this online study (N = 199) were randomly divided into four conditions: a music condition, a recall condition, a music and recall condition, and a control condition. We hypothesized that listening to music would induce awe, which in turn would affect brand attachment. Results showed that music did not have a significant effect on awe, but recalling an experience of awe did. Furthermore, awe had a significant effect on brand attachment. Finally, the personality trait Openness to Experience predicted the experience of awe. The implications for these findings, directions for future research and limitations of the current research are discussed.Show less
