Are serious games an alternative to traditional personality questionnaires? Initial analysis of a gamified assessment.

Personality questionnaires stand as crucial instruments in personnel selection but their limitations turn the interest towards alternatives like game-related assessments (GRAs). GRAs developed for goals other than fun are called serious games. Within them, gamified assessments are serious games that share similarities with traditional assessments (questionnaires, situational judgment tests, etc.) but they incorporate game elements like story, music, and game dynamics. This paper aims to contribute to the research on serious games as an alternative to traditional personality questionnaires by analyzing the characteristics of a gamified assessment called VASSIP. This gamified assessment, based on an existing measure of the Big Five personality traits, incorporates game elements such as storyfication, immersion, and non-evaluable gamified dynamics. The study performed included 98 university students (77.6% with job experience) as participants. They completed the original personality measure (BFI-2-S), the gamified evaluation of personality (VASSIP), a self-report measure of the main dimensions of job performance (task performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive work behaviors), and measures of applicant reactions to BFI-2-S and VASSIP. Results showed that the gamified assessment behaved similarly to the original personality measure in terms of reliability and participants' scores, although the scores in Conscientiousness were substantially higher in VASSIP. Focusing on self-reports of the three dimensions of job performance, regression models showed that the gamified assessment could explain all of them. Regarding applicant reactions, the gamified assessment obtained higher scores in perceptions of comfort, predictive validity, and attractiveness, although the effect size was small except for the latter. Finally, all applicant reactions except for attractiveness were related to age and personality traits. In conclusion, gamified assessments have the potential to be an alternative to traditional personality questionnaires but VASSIP needs more research before its application in actual selection processes.

Combination of granulocyte-monocyte apheresis and ustekinumab: Multicentre and retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Granulocyte-monocyte apheresis (GMA) has shown to be safe and effective in ulcerative colitis (UC), also in combination with biologics, mainly with anti-TNF. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining GMA after primary non-response (PNR) or loss of response (LOR) to ustekinumab (UST) in patients with UC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in 12 IBD Units, including all patients with refractory UC or unclassified IBD (IBD-U) who received combined GMA plus UST. The number and frequency of GMA sessions, filtered blood volume and time of each session were registered. Efficacy was assessed 1 and 6 months after finishing GMA by partial Mayo score, C-reactive protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin (FC). Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were used in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: Seventeen patients were included (15 UC, 2 IBD-U; median age 47 years [IQR, 35-61]; 59% male; 53% E3). Most patients (89%) had prior exposure to anti-TNF agents and 53% to vedolizumab; 65% were also receiving steroids at baseline. Median partial Mayo score at baseline was 6 (IQR, 5-7) and it significantly decreased after 1 and 6 months (p=0.042 and 0.007, respectively). Baseline FC significantly decreased after 6 months (p=0.028) while no differences were found in CRP. During follow-up, 18% patients started a new biologic therapy and 12% required surgery; 64% of patients under steroids were able to discontinue them. Adverse events were reported in one patient. CONCLUSION: GMA can recapture the response to UST in selected cases of UC after PNR or LOR to this drug.

Discrete symmetries tested at 10-4 precision using linear polarization of photons from positronium annihilations.

Discrete symmetries play an important role in particle physics with violation of CP connected to the matter-antimatter imbalance in the Universe. We report the most precise test of P, T and CP invariance in decays of ortho-positronium, performed with methodology involving polarization of photons from these decays. Positronium, the simplest bound state of an electron and positron, is of recent interest with discrepancies reported between measured hyperfine energy structure and theory at the level of 10-4 signaling a need for better understanding of the positronium system at this level. We test discrete symmetries using photon polarizations determined via Compton scattering in the dedicated J-PET tomograph on an event-by-event basis and without the need to control the spin of the positronium with an external magnetic field, in contrast to previous experiments. Our result is consistent with QED expectations at the level of 0.0007 and one standard deviation.

Combination of granulocyte-monocyte apheresis and tofacitinib: Multicentre and retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: Granulocyte-monocyte apheresis (GMA) has shown to be safe and effective in treating ulcerative colitis (UC), also in combination with biologics. The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combining GMA after primary non-response (PNR) or loss of response (LOR) to tofacitinib (TOFA) in patients with UC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study including all patients with refractory UC who received GMA plus TOFA. Efficacy was assessed 1 and 6 months after finishing GMA by partial Mayo score, C-reactive protein (CRP) and fecal calprotectin (FC). Descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests were used in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: Twelve patients were included (median 46 years [IQR, 37-58]; 67% female; 67% E3). Patients were mostly receiving TOFA 10mg bid (75%), and 33% also concomitant steroids at baseline. Median partial Mayo score at baseline was 7 (IQR, 5-7), and it decreased to a median of 2 (IQR, 0-3) and 0 (IQR, 0-3) after 1 and 6 months (p=0.027 and 0.020, respectively), while no differences were found in CRP and FC. Clinical remission was achieved by 6 patients both at 1 (50%) and 6 months (67%). CF values<250mg/kg were achieved by 2 and 4 patients at 1 and 6 months (data available in 5 and 7 patients, respectively). No patient required dose-escalation of TOFA, and one patient was able to de-escalate the drug. No patient required colectomy and all patients under steroids were able to stop them. CONCLUSION: The combination of GMA and TOFA can be effective in selected cases of UC after PNR or LOR to this drug.

Feasibility of the J-PET to monitor the range of therapeutic proton beams.

PURPOSE: The aim of this work is to investigate the feasibility of the Jagiellonian Positron Emission Tomography (J-PET) scanner for intra-treatment proton beam range monitoring. METHODS: The Monte Carlo simulation studies with GATE and PET image reconstruction with CASToR were performed in order to compare six J-PET scanner geometries. We simulated proton irradiation of a PMMA phantom with a Single Pencil Beam (SPB) and Spread-Out Bragg Peak (SOBP) of various ranges. The sensitivity and precision of each scanner were calculated, and considering the setup's cost-effectiveness, we indicated potentially optimal geometries for the J-PET scanner prototype dedicated to the proton beam range assessment. RESULTS: The investigations indicate that the double-layer cylindrical and triple-layer double-head configurations are the most promising for clinical application. We found that the scanner sensitivity is of the order of 10-5 coincidences per primary proton, while the precision of the range assessment for both SPB and SOBP irradiation plans was found below 1 mm. Among the scanners with the same number of detector modules, the best results are found for the triple-layer dual-head geometry. The results indicate that the double-layer cylindrical and triple-layer double-head configurations are the most promising for the clinical application, CONCLUSIONS:: We performed simulation studies demonstrating that the feasibility of the J-PET detector for PET-based proton beam therapy range monitoring is possible with reasonable sensitivity and precision enabling its pre-clinical tests in the clinical proton therapy environment. Considering the sensitivity, precision and cost-effectiveness, the double-layer cylindrical and triple-layer dual-head J-PET geometry configurations seem promising for future clinical application.

Serum and Urine Metabolomic Profiling of Newly Diagnosed Treatment-Naïve Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a prevalent chronic noncurable disease associated with profound metabolic changes. The discovery of novel molecular indicators for unraveling IBD etiopathogenesis and the diagnosis and prognosis of IBD is therefore pivotal. We sought to determine the distinctive metabolic signatures from the different IBD subgroups before treatment initiation. METHODS: Serum and urine samples from newly diagnosed treatment-naïve IBD patients and age and sex-matched healthy control (HC) individuals were investigated using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Metabolic differences were identified based on univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. RESULTS: A total of 137 Crohn's disease patients, 202 ulcerative colitis patients, and 338 HC individuals were included. In the IBD cohort, several distinguishable metabolites were detected within each subgroup comparison. Most of the differences revealed alterations in energy and amino acid metabolism in IBD patients, with an increased demand of the body for energy mainly through the ketone bodies. As compared with HC individuals, differences in metabolites were more marked and numerous in Crohn's disease than in ulcerative colitis patients, and in serum than in urine. In addition, clustering analysis revealed 3 distinct patient profiles with notable differences among them based on the analysis of their clinical, anthropometric, and metabolomic variables. However, relevant phenotypical differences were not found among these 3 clusters. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the molecular alterations present within the different subgroups of newly diagnosed treatment-naïve IBD patients. The metabolomic profile of these patients may provide further understanding of pathogenic mechanisms of IBD subgroups. Serum metabotype seemed to be especially sensitive to the onset of IBD.

Early detection of deterioration in COVID-19 patients by continuous ward respiratory rate monitoring: a pilot prospective cohort study.

Background: Tachypnea is among the earliest signs of pulmonary decompensation. Contactless continuous respiratory rate monitoring might be useful in isolated COVID-19 patients admitted in wards. We therefore aimed to determine whether continuous monitoring of respiratory patterns in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 predicts subsequent need for increased respiratory support. Methods: Single-center pilot prospective cohort study in COVID-19 patients who were cared for in routine wards. COVID-19 patients who had at least one escalation of pulmonary management were matched to three non-escalated patients. Contactless respiratory monitoring was instituted after patients enrolled, and continued for 15 days unless hospital discharge, initiation of invasive mechanical ventilation, or death occurred. Clinicians were blinded to respiratory rate data from the continuous monitor. The exposures were respiratory features over rolling periods of 30 min, 24 h, and 72 h before respiratory care escalation. The primary outcome was a subsequent escalation in ventilatory support beyond a Venturi mask. Results: Among 125 included patients, 13 exhibited at least one escalation and were each matched to three non-escalated patients. A total of 28 escalation events were matched to 84 non-escalation episodes. The 30-min mean respiratory rate in escalated patients was 23 breaths per minute (bpm) ranging from 13 to 40 bpm, similar to the 22 bpm in non-escalated patients, although with less variability (range 14 to 31 bpm). However, higher respiratory rate variability, especially skewness over 1 day, was associated with higher incidence of escalation events. Our overall model, based on continuous data, had a moderate accuracy with an AUC 0.81 (95%CI: 0.73, 0.88) and a good specificity 0.93 (95%CI: 0.87, 0.99). Conclusion: Our pilot observational study suggests that respiratory rate variability as detected with continuous monitoring is associated with subsequent care escalation during the following 24 h. Continuous respiratory monitoring thus appears to be a valuable increment over intermittent monitoring. Strengths and limitations: Our study was the initial evaluation of Circadia contactless respiratory monitoring in COVID-19 patients who are at special risk of pulmonary deterioration. The major limitation is that the analysis was largely post hoc and thus needs to be confirmed in an out-of-sample population.

Detection of range shifts in proton beam therapy using the J-PET scanner: a patient simulation study.

OBJECTIVE: The Jagiellonian PET (J-PET) technology, based on plastic scintillators, has been proposed as a cost effective tool for detecting range deviations during proton therapy. This study investigates the feasibility of using J-PET for range monitoring by means of a detailed Monte Carlo simulation study of 95 patients who underwent proton therapy at the Cyclotron Centre Bronowice (CCB) in Krakow, Poland. Approach: Discrepancies between prescribed and delivered treatments were artificially introduced in the simulations by means of shifts in patient positioning and in the Hounsfield unit to the relative proton stopping power calibration curve. A dual-layer, cylindrical J-PET geometry was simulated in an in-room monitoring scenario and a triple-layer, dual-head geometry in an in-beam protocol. The distribution of range shifts in reconstructed PET activity was visualised in the beam's eye view. Linear prediction models were constructed from all patients in the cohort, using the mean shift in reconstructed PET activity as a predictor of the mean proton range deviation. Main results: Maps of deviations in the range of reconstructed PET distributions showed agreement with those of deviations in dose range in most patients. The linear prediction model showed a good fit, with coefficient of determination r^2 = 0.84 (in-room) and 0.75 (in-beam). Residual standard error was below 1 mm: 0.33 mm (in-room) and 0.23 mm (in-beam). Significance: The precision of the proposed prediction models shows the sensitivity of the proposed J-PET scanners to shifts in proton range for a wide range of clinical treatment plans. Furthermore, it motivates the use of such models as a tool for predicting proton range deviations and opens up new prospects for investigations into the use of intra-treatment PET images for predicting clinical metrics that aid in the assessment of the quality of delivered treatment. .

Dark Tetrad and workplace deviance: Investigating the moderating role of organizational justice perceptions.

This study tested the direct effects of Dark Tetrad traits on organizational and interpersonal counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs). We also examined the moderating effects of the three dimensions of organizational justice - distributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice - on the Dark Tetrad-CWBs relationships. Based on the data from 613 employees across different occupations, the results revealed that only psychopathy and sadism had significant effects on CWBs targeted at the organization. The results also supported the direct effect of sadism on interpersonal CWBs. The findings confirmed the moderating role of interactional justice but differentially, depending on the dark trait and the target of workplace deviance. Whereas low and medium levels of interactional justice moderated the relationship between Machiavellianism and CWBs directed to the organization, it did not play any role in narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism. Regarding CWBs aimed at other people, interactional justice emerged as a significant moderator in Machiavellianism and sadism. But, whereas sadistic employees performed more harmful behaviors toward other individuals whatever their level of interactional justice, if people high in Machiavellianism (Machs) perceived a high fair interpersonal treatment, they did not show deviant behaviors directed at other employees. The paper concludes with some suggestions and recommendations about the relevance of organizational justice in the influence of dark personality traits on CWBs.

Game-related assessments for personnel selection: A systematic review.

Industrial development in recent decades has led to using information and communication technologies (ICT) to support personnel selection processes. One of the most notable examples is game-related assessments (GRA), supposedly as accurate as conventional tests but which generate better applicant reactions and reduce the likelihood of adverse impact and faking. However, such claims still lack scientific support. Given practitioners' increasing use of GRA, this article reviews the scientific literature on gamification applied to personnel selection to determine whether the current state of the art supports their use in professional practice and identify specific aspects on which future research should focus. Following the PRISMA model, a search was carried out in the Web of Science and Scopus databases, identifying 34 valid articles, of which 85.3% are empirical studies that analyze five areas: (1) validity; (2) applicant reactions; (3) design of GRA; (4) personal characteristics and GRA; and (5) adverse impact and faking. Together, these studies show that GRA can be used in personnel selection but that the supposed advantages of GRA over conventional tests are fewer than imagined. The results also suggest several aspects on which research should focus (e.g., construct validity, differences depending on the type of game, prediction of different job performance dimensions), which could help define the situations in which the use of GRA may be recommended.

Correction: Chaparro et al. Incidence, Clinical Characteristics and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Spain: Large-Scale Epidemiological Study. J. Clin. Med. 2021, 10, 2885.

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...].

Analysis of a brief biodata scale as a predictor of job performance and its incremental validity over the Big Five and Dark Tetrad personality traits.

The collection of biographical information (biodata) through CVs and application forms has many advantages, namely easiness of collection, acceptable validity, less prone to faking, and the fulfilment of legal requirements. However, its systematic use among practitioners is scarce. Two of the mains reasons is the overlap with other constructs like personality and the lack of validated biodata scales in articles and public repositories. Aimed to fill this gap, García-Izquierdo and colleagues developed an 8-item scale able to generate positive applicant reactions, but they did not provide empirical evidence that their scale is able to predict job performance. The present paper was developed for this purpose, investigating the scale's relationship with four different dimensions of job performance (i.e., task performance, contextual performance, counterproductive behaviors, and adaptive performance) and its incremental validity with respect to Big Five and Dark Tetrad personality traits. The study comprises 528 employees from different organizations (Mage = 39.51, SD = 14.25; 52.8% women, Mexperience = 17.06, SD = 13.27) which voluntarily agreed to participate filling a questionnaire with the variables of interest. Results provide evidence of the predictive validity of the biodata scale in a multi-occupational sample; identify that these biodata contribute to predicting two specific types of job performance: contextual performance and adaptive performance; shows that a brief job-related biodata scale achieves results comparable to those of most personality traits in predictive models of job performance dimensions; and provide evidence of the incremental predictive validity of biodata over the Big Five and the Dark Tetrad. As a whole, these results provide support for the use of the scale in researcher and applied settings, and contributes to the advance the knowledge of biodata for personnel selection.

ProTheRaMon - a GATE simulation framework for proton therapy range monitoring using PET imaging.

OBJECTIVE: This paper reports on the implementation and shows examples of the use of the ProTheRaMon framework for simulating the delivery of proton therapy treatment plans and range monitoring using positron emission tomography (PET). ProTheRaMon offers complete processing of proton therapy treatment plans, patient CT geometries, and intra-treatment PET imaging, taking into account therapy and imaging coordinate systems and activity decay during the PET imaging protocol specific to a given proton therapy facility. We present the ProTheRaMon framework and illustrate its potential use case and data processing steps for a patient treated at the Cyclotron Centre Bronowice (CCB) proton therapy center in Krakow, Poland. APPROACH: The ProTheRaMon framework is based on GATE Monte Carlo software, the CASToR reconstruction package and in-house developed Python and bash scripts. The framework consists of five separated simulation and data processing steps, that can be further optimized according to the user's needs and specific settings of a given proton therapy facility and PET scanner design. MAIN RESULTS: ProTheRaMon is presented using example data from a patient treated at CCB and the J-PET scanner to demonstrate the application of the framework for proton therapy range monitoring. The output of each simulation and data processing stage is described and visualized. SIGNIFICANCE: We demonstrate that the ProTheRaMon simulation platform is a high-performance tool, capable of running on a computational cluster and suitable for multi-parameter studies, with databases consisting of large number of patients, as well as different PET scanner geometries and settings for range monitoring in a clinical environment. Due to its modular structure, the ProTheRaMon framework can be adjusted for different proton therapy centers and/or different PET detector geometries. It is available to the community via github.

Incidence, Clinical Characteristics and Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Spain: Large-Scale Epidemiological Study.

(1) Aims: To assess the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Spain, to describe the main epidemiological and clinical characteristics at diagnosis and the evolution of the disease, and to explore the use of drug treatments. (2) Methods: Prospective, population-based nationwide registry. Adult patients diagnosed with IBD-Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) or IBD unclassified (IBD-U)-during 2017 in Spain were included and were followed-up for 1 year. (3) Results: We identified 3611 incident cases of IBD diagnosed during 2017 in 108 hospitals covering over 22 million inhabitants. The overall incidence (cases/100,000 person-years) was 16 for IBD, 7.5 for CD, 8 for UC, and 0.5 for IBD-U; 53% of patients were male and median age was 43 years (interquartile range = 31-56 years). During a median 12-month follow-up, 34% of patients were treated with systemic steroids, 25% with immunomodulators, 15% with biologics and 5.6% underwent surgery. The percentage of patients under these treatments was significantly higher in CD than UC and IBD-U. Use of systemic steroids and biologics was significantly higher in hospitals with high resources. In total, 28% of patients were hospitalized (35% CD and 22% UC patients, p < 0.01). (4) Conclusion: The incidence of IBD in Spain is rather high and similar to that reported in Northern Europe. IBD patients require substantial therapeutic resources, which are greater in CD and in hospitals with high resources, and much higher than previously reported. One third of patients are hospitalized in the first year after diagnosis and a relevant proportion undergo surgery.

Motives to Have Sex: Measurement and Correlates With Sociodemographic, Sexual Life, and Psychosexual Characteristics.

Knowledge of diverse sexual motivations can have profound implications for our comprehension of the causes, correlations, and consequences of sexual behavior. This study had two objectives: on the one hand, to determine the different motives why young Spanish university students have sex and their relationship with different sociodemographic and psychosexual variables and sexual behavior; on the other hand, to review and improve the psychometric properties of the Sexual Motivations Scale and validate it in Spanish. Participants were 805 university students of both sexes (78% women, 74% heterosexuals), aged between 18 and 26 years (M age = 20.88), who completed a battery of online questionnaires. Significant associations were found between young people's sexual motives, especially the motives of coping, peer pressure, and enhancement, the sociodemographic variables (sex, age sexual orientation, relational status), sexual behavior (age of initiation), and psychosexual variables (sociosexuality, self-esteem as a sexual partner, satisfaction with sex life). Also, a new structure of the Sexual Motivations Scale was proposed, with the elimination of the factor of Self-Affirmation. The discussion highlights the relevance of the results obtained due to their implications in the promotion of sexual health, in addition to achieving the first instrument validated in Spanish for the evaluation of sexual motivations.

Do young dating app users and non-users differ in mating orientations?

In recent years, dating apps have changed the way people meet and communicate with potential romantic and/or sexual partners. There exists a stereotype considering that these apps are used only for casual sex, so those apps would not be an adequate resource to find a long-term relationship. The objective of this study was to analyze possible individual differences in the mating orientations (short-term vs. long-term) between users and non-users of dating apps. Participants were 902 single students from a mid-size Spanish university, of both sexes (63% female, and 37% male), aged between 18 and 26 years (M = 20.34, SD = 2.05), who completed a battery of online questionnaires. It was found that, whereas dating apps users had a higher short-term mating orientation than non-users (more frequent behavior, higher desire, and more positive attitude), there were no differences in the long-term orientation as a function of use/non-use. Considering this, dating apps are a resource with a strong presence of people interested on hooking-up while, simultaneously, not a bad (nor good) option for finding long-term love.

Correction to: Effects of behavioural activation on substance use and depression: a systematic review.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Profiling Dating Apps Users: Sociodemographic and Personality Characteristics.

The development of new technologies, the expansion of the Internet, and the emergence of dating apps (e.g., Tinder, Grindr) in recent years have changed the way to meet and approach potential romantic and/or sexual partners. The recent phenomenon has led to some gaps in the literature on individual differences (sociodemographic variables and personality traits) between users (previous and current users) and non-users of dating apps. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between using dating apps, sociodemographics (gender, age, sexual orientation, and relationship status), and bright and dark personality traits. Participants were 1705 university students (70% women, 30% men), aged between 18 and 26 (M = 20.60, SD = 2.09), who completed several online questionnaires. Through multinomial logistic regression analyses, it was found that men, older youth, and members of sexual minorities were more likely to be current and previous dating apps users. Being single and higher scores in open-mindedness were associated with higher probability to be current dating apps user. The dark personality showed no predictive ability. The discussion highlights the usefulness of knowing and considering the sociodemographic background and the characteristics of personality patterns in the design and implementation of preventive and promotion programs of healthy romantic and sexual relationships to improve people's better health and well-being.

Environmental reward and depressive symptoms in the relationship between avoidance and cigarette dependence in treatment-seeking smokers / Reforzamiento ambiental percibido y sintomatología depresiva en la relación entre la evitación conductual y la dependencia del tabaco en fumadores que buscan tratamiento para dejar de fumar

BACKGROUND: The current study sought to further examine the relation between avoidance, environmental reward, depressive symptoms and cigarette dependence. METHOD: The sample included 275 adult treatment-seeking daily smokers (Mage = 45.36, SD = 10.96; 61.5% female). To examine the relationships between the study variables, correlation and serial mediation analyses were conducted. RESULTS: A significant positive relationship between cigarette dependence, avoidance, and depressive symptoms, and a negative relationship with environmental reward was found. Mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect pathway from avoidance to cigarette dependence through depressive symptoms; and also a significant indirect serial pathway from avoidance to cigarette dependence through environmental reward and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest the importance of avoidance, environmental reward and depressive symptoms in cigarette dependence. Our findings contribute to the understanding of behavioral and psychological factors related to cigarette dependence, which is a well-known barrier to abstinence. Thus, it could be useful to assess and address such variables in the context of smoking-cessation interventions

ANTECEDENTES: el presente estudio tiene como objetivo examinar la relación entre la conducta de evitación, el reforzamiento ambiental percibido, la sintomatología depresiva y la dependencia del tabaco. MÉTODO: la muestra estaba formada por 275 fumadores que demandan tratamiento para dejar de fumar (Medad = 45,36, DT = 10,96; 61,5% mujeres). Para examinar la relación entre las variables de estudio se realizaron análisis de correlación y de mediación serial. RESULTADOS: se encontró una correlación positiva significativa entre la dependencia del tabaco, la evitación y la sintomatología depresiva, y una correlación negativa significativa con el reforzamiento ambiental percibido. El análisis de mediación serial reveló una vía indirecta significativa entre la evitación y la dependencia del tabaco a través de la sintomatología depresiva; así como entre la evitación y la dependencia del tabaco a través del reforzamiento ambiental percibido y la sintomatología depresiva. CONCLUSIONES: los resultados de este estudio contribuyen a la comprensión de factores conductuales y psicológicos implicados en la dependencia del tabaco, la cual es considerada una barrera para lograr la abstinencia. Por lo tanto, la evaluación y abordaje de estas variables podría considerarse un aspecto relevante en el contexto de las intervenciones para dejar de fumar

Environmental reward and depressive symptoms in the relationship between avoidance and cigarette dependence in treatment-seeking smokers.

BACKGROUND: The current study sought to further examine the relation between avoidance, environmental reward, depressive symptoms and cigarette dependence. METHOD: The sample included 275 adult treatment-seeking daily smokers (M age = 45.36, SD = 10.96; 61.5% female). To examine the relationships between the study variables, correlation and serial mediation analyses were conducted. RESULTS: A significant positive relationship between cigarette dependence, avoidance, and depressive symptoms, and a negative relationship with environmental reward was found. Mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect pathway from avoidance to cigarette dependence through depressive symptoms; and also a significant indirect serial pathway from avoidance to cigarette dependence through environmental reward and depressive symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest the importance of avoidance, environmental reward and depressive symptoms in cigarette dependence. Our findings contribute to the understanding of behavioral and psychological factors related to cigarette dependence, which is a well-known barrier to abstinence. Thus, it could be useful to assess and address such variables in the context of smoking-cessation interventions.