Marine reserves unlikely to restore marine ecosystems

Study on carnivorous fish from shallow rocky sea bottoms

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BARCELON

 

IMAGE: THE STUDY USED VISUAL CENSUSES AND THE ANALYSIS OF STABLE ISOTOPES TO DETERMINE THE ABUNDANCE AND TROPHIC NICHE OF CARNIVOROUS FISH IN MARINE RESERVES AND AREAS OPEN TO FISHING view more 

CREDIT: LLUÍS CARDONA - UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA

Protected marine areas are one of the essential tools for the conservation of natural resources affected by human impact —mainly fishing—, but, are they enough to recover the functioning of these systems? A study published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science, led by researchers from the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) of the University of Barcelona, in collaboration with researchers from the Group of Ecosystem Oceanography (GRECO) of the Oceanographic Center of the Balearic Islands, highlights the limitations of marine reserves in restoring food webs to their pristine state prior to the impact of intensive fishing.

Protected marine areas are one of the essential tools for the conservation of natural resources affected by human impact —mainly fishing—, but, are they enough to recover the functioning of these systems? A study published in the ICES Journal of Marine Science, led by researchers from the Biodiversity Research Institute (IRBio) of the University of Barcelona, in collaboration with researchers from the Group of Ecosystem Oceanography (GRECO) of the Oceanographic Center of the Balearic Islands, highlights the limitations of marine reserves in restoring food webs to their pristine state prior to the impact of intensive fishing.

“This study shows that with only the small-scale marine reserves, it is not enough to conserve the functionality of marine ecosystems. In areas with an intense fishing pressure, both professional and recreational, exploited areas have more influence on small reserves”, says lecturer Lluís Cardona, from the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences of the Faculty of Biology and IRBio, and first signatory of the article.

The study is also signed by the researchers Fabiana Saporiti, Asunción Borrell and Àlex Aguilar (IRBIO-UB), and it includes the participation of the experts Joan Moranta and Olga Reñones (IEO-CSIC), and Adam Gouraguine, from Newcastle University (United Kingdom).

Study on carnivorous fish from shallow rocky sea bottoms

The researchers analysed, through underwater visual censuses, the number and size of carnivorous fish living on shallow rocky bottoms in the Mediterranean Sea and in temperate areas of the Atlantic Ocean, with the aim of assessing the effects of protection from fishing in marine reserves. They later used the technique of stable isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen to see whether there had been a change in the diet of the species and, thus, in the food web.

In the Mediterranean, the samples were obtained in the Cabrera National Park (Majorca), in areas where this activity has been banned since 1991. These samples were compared to those from the west side of Majorca, where this activity is allowed. On the other hand, the samples from the Atlantic were obtained in the Cies Islands, a small archipelago that belongs to the Atlantic Islands of Galicia National Park, where certain types of fishing have been prohibited since 2002 (except for small-scale artisanal fishing), and other areas in the mouth of the adjacent Ria de Vigo, which are open to all fishing.

Effects on number and size of fish, but not on trophic structure

The results show a larger biomass and size of carnivorous fish from shallow rocky bottoms in the analysed marine reserves, compared to areas open to fishing. The most extreme examples were the dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) in the Balearic Islands, and the sargo (Diplodus sargus) in Galicia, since the individuals larger than 45cm, as in the first case, and 26cm, in the second case, could only be found in the protected areas.

Apart from the positive effects, the study shows that the protection of fishing did not cause any significant change in the trophic structure of the carnivorous fish community in any of those two regions, although there were some changes in the diet of some species. According to the researchers, this indicates that the effects of the marine reserves in the Mediterranean Sea and the north-eastern areas of the Atlantic Ocean are “insufficient to help reconstruct the populations of some carnivorous fish and restore the size structure, as well as to provoke changes in the diet of certain species, but they are unlikely to induce the recovery of the trophic structure of pristine ecosystems prior to the intensification of fishing”.

The impact of the absence of sharks, dolphins and seals

These results would be explained due to the lack of large carnivorous fish and other highly mobile species, such as seals and coastal sharks, which are at the top of the food chain and have been affected by human exploitation. “Marine reserves favour the recovery of species such as the dusky grouper, but not other highly mobile and large species such as sharks, dolphins and seals. Even species such as the sea bass have problems recovering in Galicia’s marine reserves. The lack of these species is what prevents the emergence of differences in food webs between reserves and areas open to fishing, in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, beyond the recovery of the biomass of some sedentary species”, says Lluís Cardona.

As a result, according to the researchers, the aims of the marine networks in regions where mobile predators have been depleted or have become extinct have to be rethought in “more realistic terms than the recovery of pristine conditions prior to intensive fishing, although in marine reserves some of the characteristics of the historical trophic structure, such as biomass and size structure of certain sedentary species, can be recovered".

In this sense, Luís Cardona thinks the focus of the future conservation of marine ecosystems regarding fishing has to be on “reducing the impact on highly mobile and large species in the areas that are open to fishing, since marine reserves alone can do little to protect these species”.

However, researchers note that the situation could be different in areas where human pressure has been lower and where there is still part of the original diversity of larger and highly mobile carnivorous fish, such as in the north-eastern Pacific Ocean, where populations of most of these species remain in good conditions thanks to the conservation measures applied throughout the territory.

Populations of sedentary predators, such as groupers, recover rapidly in well-managed marine reserves, even if they are small.

CREDIT

Olga Reñones - OCEANOGRAPHIC CENTER OF THE BALEARIC ISLANDS

  

The absence of highly mobile predators such as seals and sharks in marine reserves means that the original trophic structure of the fish community cannot be restored.

CREDIT

Manel Gazo - UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA

Only by reducing fishing mortality outside marine reserves is it possible to restore the ecological role of highly mobile marine predators and the original community structure.

CREDIT

Ignasi Nuez - UNIVERSITY OF BARCELONA / SUBMON

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JOURNAL

ICES Journal of Marine Science

DOI

10.1093/icesjms/fsac229 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Effects of fishing on the trophic structure of carnivorous fish assemblages from shallow rocky bottoms of the Mediterranean Sea and the temperate Atlantic Ocean

How did ancient extreme climate affect sand in the deep sea?

Peer-Reviewed Publication

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Geologists are interested in the sedimentary cycle – erosion from mountains that forms sand that is carried out to the ocean – because it’s foundational for understanding how the planet works.

It’s also crucial for understanding the global sand budget and planning offshore operations like oil extraction, wind farms, and carbon sequestration. Now, researchers have taken a broad look at ancient Earth’s sedimentary cycle during an extremely hot period in search of clues about the impacts of extreme climate events.

By synthesizing global data on deep-sea sand deposits, researchers identified a signal or “fingerprint” of extreme climate change from about 50 million years ago: turbidite deposits. These deposits, evidence of ancient rapid submarine water currents, are thought to be caused by the downslope transport of sediment that has accumulated at the top of the continental slope.

“This suggests that extreme weather events and exacerbated global climatic conditions contributing to increased erosion of landscapes could amplify delivery of sand into the deep ocean,” said Stanford University adjunct lecturer Zack Burton, PhD ’20, lead author on a study detailing the findings published Feb. 8 in Nature Scientific Reports.

High seas

The research challenges a long-held notion that sea-level changes are the dominant influence on sand deposits in the deep sea. When sea level is low, there’s a better chance for sediment eroded off mountains to find its way to the deep sea. Many researchers have theorized that high seas prevent sand from being deposited to deep seas because coastal plains and underwater continental shelves could be barriers to sand reaching deep waters.

But according to the study authors’ compilation of 59 instances of early Eocene turbidite systems active 56 million to 48 million years ago, climatic conditions and tectonic activity may be more important than sea-level changes for deep-sea sand deposition.

“We suspected this was true, but we hadn’t realized the magnitude of examples that have been documented in the literature,” said senior study author Stephan Graham, the Welton Joseph and Maud L’Anphere Crook Professor in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. “There were many more of those deep-water deposits than we had realized.”

In the paper, the researchers present a conceptual model suggesting that conditions like intense precipitation and integrated river drainages can cause abundant sand-rich deep-marine deposits despite exceptionally high sea levels.

Hothouse planet

Earth during the early Eocene 56 million to 48 million years ago had the highest sea levels – with oceans over 200 feet above current levels – since before the sudden mass extinction of three-quarters of the planet’s plant and animal species about 66 million years ago. There were rainforests in the Arctic, and alligators lived in the Dakotas.

While some of these conditions may be unfathomable, present-day climate change is giving us glimpses of the extreme climate events that besieged the early Eocene.

“As the Earth gets hotter and hotter because CO2 increases the greenhouse effect and sea level rises even further, then we would expect the increasing intensity of storms, higher precipitation rates – based on climate modeling by other people – to have much more impact in terms of sediment getting to the deep sea,” Graham said.

While that may not be relevant anytime soon, the power of turbidity currents shouldn’t be underestimated for future-proofing the next generations. The sediment-laden flows known as turbidity currents are like the devastating glowing avalanches that cascade down erupting volcanoes, Graham said.

Researchers first found out about turbidity currents because they were snapping transatlantic telegraph cables in 1929. “They’re very powerful submarine flows of tremendous scale,” Burton said.

With this synthesis of turbidity deposits from such a critical time in Earth’s history, the researchers hope others will continue speculating about the aspects of warmer climates that may be impacting the global sedimentary cycle.

“Other factors, like human interactions with sedimentary systems and the terrestrial world we all live in, are combining to influence movement of sediment,” Burton said. “I think it’s hard to consider from an everyday perspective, just because we don’t see these systems – they’re part of the beautiful mystery of the deep ocean which we know so little about.”

Stanford co-authors include Tim McHargue and alumni Chris Kremer (now at Brown University), Jared Gooley (now at the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center), Chayawan Jaikla (now at Microsoft), and Jake Harrington. The research was supported by the Stanford Project on Deep-water Depositional Systems and Basin Processes and Subsurface Modeling programs.

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JOURNAL

Scientific Reports

DOI

10.1038/s41598-022-27138-2 

ARTICLE TITLE

Peak Cenozoic warmth enabled deep‐sea sand deposition

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

8-Feb-2023

 ‘Game-changing’ findings for sustainable hydrogen production: University of Surrey

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF SURREY

Hydrogen fuel could be a more viable alternative to traditional fossil fuels according to University of Surrey researchers who have found that a type of metal-free catalysts could contribute to the development of cost-effective and sustainable hydrogen production technologies. 

The study has shown promising results for the use of edge-decorated nano carbons as metal-free catalysts for the direct conversion of methane, which is also a powerful greenhouse gas, into hydrogen. Among the nano carbons investigated, nitrogen-doped nano carbons presented the highest level of performance for hydrogen production at high temperatures. 

Crucially, the researchers also found that the nitrogen-doped and phosphorous-doped nano carbons had strong resistance to carbon poisoning, which is a common issue with catalysts in this process. 

Dr Neubi Xavier Jr, the Research Fellow who performed the material science simulations, said: 

"Our results suggest that using edge-decorated nano carbons as catalysts could be a game-changer for the hydrogen industry, offering a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to traditional metal catalysts. At the same time, this process gets rid of methane, which is a fossil fuel involved in global warming." 

Hydrogen fuel is a clean and renewable energy source that has the potential to reduce carbon emissions and decrease our dependence on fossil fuels. When used as a fuel, hydrogen can power vehicles, generate electricity, and heat buildings. The only by-product of hydrogen fuel is water vapour, making it an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional fossil fuels. 

However, the production of hydrogen fuel is currently reliant on fossil fuels, which creates carbon emissions in the process, and metal catalysts, which mining and manufacturing are energy intensive and can negatively affect the environment. Therefore, the development of sustainable hydrogen production methods and catalytic materials is crucial to realising the full potential of hydrogen fuel as a clean energy source. 

The research was conducted by a team led by Dr Marco Sacchi from the University of Surrey, an expert in the field of sustainable energy and computational chemistry, who combined quantum chemistry, thermodynamics and chemical kinetics to determine the most efficient edge decoration for hydrogen production. 

Dr Sacchi said: 

"One of the biggest challenges with catalysts for hydrogen production is that they can get poisoned by carbon. But our study found that nitrogen and phosphorous-doped nano carbons are pretty resistant to this problem. This is a huge step forward for sustainable hydrogen production."

The full article can be found in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 

### 

· Reference: First Principles Microkinetic Modelling Unravelling the Performance of Edge-Decorated Nanocarbons for Hydrogen Production from Methane; Neubi F. Xavier Jr et al; ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces; January 2023; 10.1021/acsami.2c20937. 

JOURNAL

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

DOI

10.1021/acsami.2c20937 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

ARTICLE TITLE

First-Principles Microkinetic Modeling Unravelling the Performance of Edge-Decorated Nanocarbons for Hydrogen Production from Methane

Screening for mental health problems in school can reduce and prevent later psychotic experiences

Peer-Reviewed Publication

RCSI

 

IMAGE: PROFESSOR MARY CANNON, PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY AND YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH, DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY, RCSI UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND HEALTH SCIENCES view more 

CREDIT: RAY LOHAN/ RCSI

Wednesday, 8 February 2023: In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers at RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences have found that a school-based screen for mental health problems, combined with a referral system, can be effective at improving and protecting the mental health of adolescents.

The research, published in BMC Public Health, is the first study to examine the impact of school-based interventions on preventing psychotic experiences, an early indicator of developing mental disorders in children and adolescents. Of the interventions tested, one consisting of a universal screener and selective intervention was found to both reduce the rates of, and prevent psychotic experiences at 12-month follow up.

Professor Mary Cannon, Professor of Psychiatric Epidemiology and Youth Mental Health, Department of Psychiatry, RCSI, commented: “Prevention has two key objectives; to reduce the symptoms of mental health disorders, and prevent new incidence of symptoms. This study demonstrates that school-based interventions have the potential to be effective at both key aims of prevention, making a positive impact on public mental health.”

Lead author and RCSI PhD student, Lorna Staines commented: “Psychotic experiences are particularly common in the adolescent population and are associated with a four-fold increased risk for psychotic disorder, and a three-fold increased risk for any mental disorder. This study has for the first time identified school-based programmes as an effective route to prevent psychotic experiences.”

The lead authors of this study are supported through funding provided by the European Research Council Consolidator Award (iHEAR). The SEYLE project was supported through Coordination Theme 1 (Health) of the European Union Seventh Framework Programme. Further support was provided by a Wellcome Trust Innovations Award, a research grant from Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), the European Regional Development Fund and FutureNeuro industry partners.

 

ENDS

 

About RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is a world-leading university for Good Health and Well-being. Ranked in the world top 50 for its contribution to UN Sustainable Development Goal 3 in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022, it is exclusively focused on education and research to drive improvements in human health worldwide.

RCSI is an international not-for-profit university, headquartered in Dublin. It is among the top 250 universities worldwide in the World University Rankings (2023). RCSI has been awarded Athena Swan Bronze accreditation for positive gender practice in higher education.

Visit the RCSI MyHealth Expert Directory to find the details of our experts across a range of healthcare issues and concerns. Recognising their responsibility to share their knowledge and discoveries to empower people with information that leads them to better health, these clinicians and researchers are willing to engage with the media in their area of expertise.

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JOURNAL

BMC Public Health

DOI

10.1186/s12889-023-15107-x 

Childhood mental health problems

 resulting from early-life adversity drive

 poorer cognitive performance in

 adolescence, study suggests

Early-life adversity has long-term effects on children’s mental health, which in turn affects cognitive functioning as teenagers, say researchers. However, if mental health improves over time this outcome can be alleviated

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDG 

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE

Paper available at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1gT05MtcRuvRYPL6cPTazut7672Z5UsDN?usp=share_link

Early-life adversity – such as poverty, illness or family conflict – has long been linked to mental health difficulties and poorer cognitive functioning as children grow up. But how these factors interact and evolve over time has so far been unknown.

Now, a new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge, together with colleagues in Nigeria, has revealed the interplay between early-life adversity, mental health difficulties and cognitive functioning over the course of childhood. The results, published today in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, show that childhood mental health influences the extent to which early-life adversity impacts on later cognitive functioning.

Scientists analysed data from the ongoing Millennium Cohort Study, which has assessed 13,287 children on a variety of tests at ages three, five, seven, eleven and fourteen. They selected measures of early-life adversity (which they classified as taking place before the age of three), mental health and cognitive functioning – namely, working memory and vocabulary.

The team from the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge used a statistical technique designed to tease out the extent to which mental health affects the relationship between early-life adversity and cognitive functioning later in childhood.

They found that early-life adversity is associated with poorer performance on working memory and vocabulary through its impact on mental health across childhood. For example, poorer mental health across ages 3-14 resulting from early-life adversity accounted for 59% of the variance in poorer working memory performance at age 11 and explained 70% of poorer performance in vocabulary at age 14.  

The researchers showed that early-life adversity at age three strongly predicted poorer mental health across ages 3-14, with the association strongest at three but getting progressively weaker over time. In other words, children who experienced early-life adversity were most likely to experience mental health difficulties from age three to age fourteen, although poorer mental health was greater at age 3 than in the later years. This suggests that exposure to early-life adversity at this developmentally sensitive time has a negative long-term impact on mental health.

They also found that decreases in mental health difficulties over time were associated with improvements in working memory and vocabulary. This suggests that if behavioural and psychological difficulties can be addressed when children are young, the effects of early-life adversity on later cognition could be alleviated. This finding has important implications for clinicians, educators and parents involved in interventions.

“Our findings suggest that early-life adversity can lead to prolonged periods of poor mental health, which in turn may have lasting effects on cognitive performance, such as working memory and vocabulary,” said lead author Dr Tochukwu Nweze from the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit.

“We already know that poor mental health and cognition are associated with numerous behavioural problems which affect life quality and satisfaction. This reinforces the need for early interventions to give children the best possible life-outcomes.”

The researchers say that, at a time of rising mental health challenges among teenagers and young people, made worse by contemporary risk factors such as conflicts, pandemics and climate change, educators and clinicians need to focus on building resilience in children who have experienced early-life adversity.

“In this way, we can hope to break the self-sustaining mental health difficulties faced by individuals who have experienced early-life adversity,” said Dr Nweze.

The research was funded by Cambridge Trust under the Cambridge African Scholarship scheme.

ENDS.

Reference:

Tochukwu Nweze et al., Childhood mental health difficulties mediate the long-term association between early-life adversity at age 3 and poorer cognitive functioning at ages 11 and 14, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 8 February 2023, DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13757

Contact details:

Charis Goodyear, Communications Coordinator, University of Cambridge Office of External Affairs and Communications Charis.Goodyear@admin.cam.ac.uk

Tochukwu Nweze, University of Cambridge ejiofortochukwunweze@gmail.com

About the University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is one of the world’s leading universities, with a rich history of radical thinking dating back to 1209. Its mission is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.

Cambridge was second in the influential 2023 QS World University Rankings, the highest rated institution in the UK.

The University comprises 31 autonomous Colleges and over 100 departments, faculties and institutions. Its 20,000 students include around 9,000 international students from 147 countries. In 2022, 72.5% of its new undergraduate students were from state schools and more than 25% from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Cambridge research spans almost every discipline, from science, technology, engineering and medicine through to the arts, humanities and social sciences, with multi-disciplinary teams working to address major global challenges. In the Times Higher Education’s rankings based on the UK Research Excellence Framework, the University was rated as the highest scoring institution covering all the major disciplines.

The University sits at the heart of the ‘Cambridge cluster’, in which more than 5,200 knowledge-intensive firms employ more than 71,000 people and generate £19 billion in turnover. Cambridge has the highest number of patent applications per 100,000 residents in the UK.

www.cam.ac.uk

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JOURNAL

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry

DOI

10.1111/jcpp.13757 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Childhood mental health difficulties mediate the long-term association between early-life adversity at age 3 and poorer cognitive functioning at ages 11 and 14

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

8-Feb-2023

COI STATEMENT

The research was funded by Cambridge Trust under the Cambridge African Scholarship scheme.

How does early-life adversity affect childhood mental health and cognitive function?

Peer-Reviewed Publication

WILEY

New research published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry indicates that early-life adversity—such as homelessness, parental violence, or longstanding illness in the family—may lead to mental health challenges, which in turn have adverse consequences for the development of cognitive abilities during childhood. 

In the study of 13,287 children in the UK, adversity at age 3 years was strongly associated with poorer mental health across all ages from 3 to 14 years. Also, adversity predicted poorer working memory at age 11 and vocabulary at age 14. The impact of adversity on cognition was partially due to its negative effects on mental health during development. 

“Our findings not only highlight the deleterious effects of adversity on mental health and cognitive abilities but also reveal one of the mechanisms through which these effects manifest and persist over a long period of time. Prolonged periods of poor mental health as a result of early-life adversity, may have lasting or partially cumulative effects on cognitive abilities of working memory and vocabulary,” said the lead author of the paper, Tochukwu Nweze, PhD, a recent graduate of University of Cambridge. “At a time of rising mental health challenges among teenagers and young people, exacerbated by contemporary environmental risk factors, we suggest that educators in collaboration with clinicians could foster greater resilience by attempting to break this vicious cycle of persistent and self-sustaining mental health difficulties faced by individuals who experienced early adversity through some sort of deliberate and targeted clinical intervention.”

URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcpp.13757

 

Additional Information
NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact: Sara Henning-Stout, newsroom@wiley.com.

About the Journal
The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JCPP) is widely recognised to be the leading international journal covering both child and adolescent psychology and psychiatry. JCPP publishes the highest quality clinically relevant research in psychology, psychiatry and related disciplines.

About Wiley
Wiley is one of the world’s largest publishers and a global leader in scientific research and career-connected education. Founded in 1807, Wiley enables discovery, powers education, and shapes workforces. Through its industry-leading content, digital platforms, and knowledge networks, the company delivers on its timeless mission to unlock human potential. Visit us at Wiley.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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JOURNAL

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry

DOI

10.1111/jcpp.13757 

ARTICLE TITLE

Childhood mental health difficulties mediate the long-term association between early-life adversity at age 3 and poorer cognitive functioning at ages 11 and 14

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

8-Feb-2023

Relationships matter more than emotion when it comes to ‘likes’ on Instagram

Friends can expect a ‘like’ but acquaintances must play their part to earn a like on Instagram

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF BATH

The emotional buzz of receiving a like to an Instagram post can leave people more disposed to return a like in the future, but it’s the status of the relationship that is the overriding factor in determining the tap of approval, according to a study from the University of Bath.

Close friends can expect a like from one another to an Instagram post regardless of their reaction to a previous post, but for acquaintances the behaviour is reciprocal.

“People who are good friends give likes to each other as a way of keeping the relationship going - it’s something they’ll do whether the other person has liked their last post or ignored it,” said Dr Kseniya Stsiampkouskaya from the University’s School of Management. “The action of giving a like can be seen as a small building block that supports the friendship and strengthens the bond between two people. This means that social media users engage in ‘social grooming’ - behaviour aimed at maintaining social structures and relationships.”

The researchers say the excitement and enthusiasm generated by receiving a like is a big driver of intention to like somebody’s posts in the future, but good friends don’t need this – it’s their attachment that prompts them to like a post.

“If you share something on social media, you can expect a like from your close friend even if you missed their previous post,” says Stsiampkouskaya. “Liking between close friends is not about direct reciprocity, it is about the bigger picture - their friendship and connection.

“For acquaintances, however, the situation is different. Acquaintances do not have the same social obligations towards each other as close friends, so they tend to mirror each other’s behaviours. Receiving a like from an acquaintance triggers our norm of reciprocity, so we are more likely to return the kindness and give a like back. However, if this acquaintance didn’t like our previous post, we will probably do the same and just ignore their future posts.”

The research, published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, explores the direct reciprocation of social media likes via an online experiment. 201 participants from the UK, US, Ireland, Australia, Canada and New Zealand (71 per cent women) were allocated to one of four groups: receiving a like from a close friend, not receiving a like from a close friend, receiving a like from an acquaintance, and not receiving a like from an acquaintance.

They completed a questionnaire-based simulation of Instagram in which they had the choice to return or not return a like to a friend/ acquaintance, with researchers using statistical modelling techniques to assess participants’ emotional reactions.

The researchers acknowledge that while relational closeness influences liking behaviours it is not the sole predictor – previous research points to a variety of factors including demographics, personality traits, enjoyment, personal brand management and information sharing.

However, they say the study is “an important stepping-stone” in understanding how user behaviour changes across different levels of relational closeness. Insights can help social media platforms optimise user experience by fulfilling their original purpose of connecting people and providing ample opportunities for relationship building and maintenance. 

“Understanding how relational closeness affects user behaviour can help brands and businesses create effective engagement strategies, fostering the culture of cooperation and co-creation on social media,” said Stsiampkouskaya.

“Last but not least, the knowledge of why and how people give likes on social media can ease the pressure of social comparison, increase users’ self-awareness, and help them engage with platforms in a more mindful way.”

To Like or Not to Like? An Experimental Study on Relational Closeness, Social Grooming, Reciprocity, and Emotions in Social Media Liking is published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, by Dr Kseniya Stsiampkouskaya, Professor Adam Joinson and Dr Lukasz Piwek: https://academic.oup.com/jcmc/article/28/2/zmac036/6987873

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JOURNAL

Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication

DOI

10.1093/jcmc/zmac036 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Data/statistical analysis

ARTICLE TITLE

To Like or Not to Like? An Experimental Study on Relational Closeness, Social Grooming, Reciprocity, and Emotions in Social Media Liking

Study reveals warning signs of poor mental health in athletes

‘Put down’ language is a key indicator of poor mental health in athletes, recent research shows

Peer-Reviewed Publication

STAFFORDSHIRE UNIVERSITY

‘Put down’ language is a key indicator of poor mental health in athletes, recent research shows.

More than 400 athletes across a variety of sports, ages and levels of experience were questioned for the study by sports psychology experts from Staffordshire University and Manchester Metropolitan University.

The findings reveal that athletes’ belief systems – specifically irrational beliefs – are related to poorer self-confidence, and in turn, greater competitive anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Phrases that reflect self-depreciating beliefs such as “if I lose, I’m a failure" or “If I face setbacks, it shows how stupid I am” are warning signs, say the authors.

Paul Mansell, Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Staffordshire University, said: “Despite the psychological benefits of physical activity, studies frequently report poor mental health in athletes, which may be exacerbated by adversities, such as injury, de-selection, and performance pressure.

“We investigated athletes’ beliefs, how they view stress, their levels of self-confidence and put all this data together to work out what might predict psychological wellbeing. We found irrational beliefs to be a core reason for symptoms of poor mental health manifesting in athletes.”

This is the first known study that has examined irrational beliefs, self-confidence, and the psychological wellbeing of athletes all together. Irrational beliefs are extreme, rigid, and illogical ideas that people hold. For example, a person might believe that they “must” get what they want, or that just because they have failed, that they are a “complete failure”.

Dr Martin Turner, from Manchester Metropolitan University, said: “In our recent study, self-depreciation beliefs were found to be the main predictor of low self-confidence. In simple terms, when an athlete put themselves down and uses language like “If I lose, it means I am a failure" it is most damaging and most likely to lead to losses of confidence. This is then likely to have a knock-on effect on performance and wellbeing.

“We can all work to help athletes develop mindsets that help them deal with the challenges of sport and life. By encouraging rational and logical beliefs about performance, we can help athletes to stay healthy amidst the high demands of competitive sport.”

The authors propose Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) as an effective tool for protecting self-confidence. REBT helps athletes to challenge these self-depreciation beliefs and develop beliefs that are more helpful and healthy. For example, rather than believe “I am a failure if I fail”, this might be countered with “failing is not ideal, but it does not mean that I am failure”.

Paul added: “The good news is that irrational beliefs can be challenged and weakened. A coach, teammate or a sports psychologist can listen out for irrational belief phrases and help athletes to counter them. Promoting helpful ‘self-talk’ or imagery can really help to shift somebody’s mindset from being rigid and illogical to being more rational, flexible and healthy.”

Read the full paper Testing the REBT-I model in athletes: Investigating the role of self-confidence between irrational beliefs and psychological distress published in Psychology of Sport and Exercise.

Discover more about Staffordshire University’s range of Sport and Exercise degree courses.

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JOURNAL

Psychology of Sport and Exercise

DOI

10.1016/j.psychsport.2022.102284 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Testing the REBT-I model in athletes: Investigating the role of self-confidence between irrational beliefs and psychological distress