Peer drinking and alcohol use: The role of risk perception, perceived vulnerability, and gender: a moderated moderation analyses

Objective: To examine the moderating role of alcohol-related risk perception and perceived vulnerability to alcohol consequences in the relationship between descriptive drinking norms and personal alcohol use, and to determine if this moderation was, in turn, moderated by gender Methods: 538 college students (78.0% women, mean age = 21.2) from three Spanish universities completed a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. Simple moderation and moderated moderation analyses were conducted Results: Risk perception and perceived vulnerability moderated the relationship between drinking norms and alcohol use. This relationship weakened as perceived vulnerability and risk perception increased. High levels of risk perception and perceived vulnerability nullified the effect of perceived peer drinking on drinking quantity among both men and women, but higher values were necessary to nullify these effects among men Conclusions: Risk perception and perceived vulnerability appear to be useful in identifying specific subgroups more vulnerable to the effects of drinking norms and might be effective strategies for weakening its impact on alcohol use, with such strategies being more beneficial for women than men. These variables could thus be incorporated into norm-based interventions as they may improve their effectiveness. Our findings highlight the importance of designing gender-specific interventions to reduce the potential negative impact of alcohol consumption.Fil: Vera, Belén del Valle. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; ArgentinaFil: Carmona Márquez, José. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: González Ponce, Bella M.. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: Fernández Calderón, Fermín. Universidad de Huelva; Españ

The Protection Motivation Theory as a Predictor of the Use of Protective Behavioral Strategies among Young Adults

Alcohol Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS) have shown to be effective in minimizing alcohol-related negative consequences. However, previous studies on the explanatory factors of PBS use are scarce. The Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) is a social cognition theory which attempts to explain intention to use protective behaviors in respond to health threats such as alcohol-related negative consequences. According to PMT, the likelihood of engaging in protective behaviors when facing a threat is a product of two processes: threat appraisal (perceived severity and perceived vulnerability to the threat) and coping appraisal (response efficacy and perceived self-efficacy for using a protective behavior). We examined the predictive utility of the PMT on the intention to use PBS related to the Manner of Drinking (MOD) among a community sample of young adults. Prospective study that recruited 360 young adults aged 18-24 years by targeted sampling procedure (Mage=21.15 [SD=2.23]; female=50.3%). Most baseline participants (94.2%, n=339) completed a 2-months follow-up assessment. Perceived severity and perceived vulnerability to alcohol use, perceived efficacy of MOD strategies to reduce alcohol-related negative consequences, and self-efficacy to engage in MOD strategies were measured at baseline, and intention to use MOD strategies at follow-up. A multiple lineal regression model for predicting intention to use MOD strategies was used. Perceived severity (β=.13, p=.017), response efficacy (β=.270, p<.001), and selfefficacy (β=.240, p<.000) were positively associated with high intention to use MOD protective strategies. In line with previous research, our findings demonstrated that coping-appraisal components of PMT are more explanatory of protective behaviors than threat-appraisal components. These results may be useful to inform interventions aimed at increasing PBS use among young adults.Fil: González Ponce, Bella. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: Carmona Márquez, José. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: Vera, Belén del Valle. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Psicología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Fernández Calderón, Fermín. Universidad de Huelva; España17th European Congress of PsychologyLiublianaEslovenialovenian Psychologists’ Associatio

Coping motives for drinking as a mediator between anxiety and depression, and alcohol outcomes in community Spanish young adults

Consistent with the medication hypothesis, drinking to cope with negative affect appears to mediate the relationship between mental health and alcohol-related problems, which has been shown in college students. However, there is a lack of evidence in non-university samples that limits the generalization of results. The present study examines the mediating role of coping motives in the relationship between depression and anxiety and alcohol outcomes (frequency and quantity of alcohol use, binge drinking, and alcohol-related consequences). Prospective design with a baseline assessment and a 2-month follow-up. We recruited 334 young adults in the community (mean = 21.1; SD = 2.21) who completed a questionnaire to measure coping motives for drinking and depression and anxiety (Brief Symptom Inventory) at baseline. Eight mediation models were tested, one for each alcohol outcome (at follow-up) for depression and another four for anxiety. The coping motives for drinking mediated the positive relationships between depression and alcohol outcomes, such that higher levels of depression were associated with higher coping motives, which in turn, were associated with higher alcohol-related outcomes. The same results were found for anxiety, except for the relationship between anxiety and binge drinking, which was not mediated by coping motives. Our findings are consistent with the medication hypothesis that "drinking to cope with negative affect" is a critical mediator of associations between mental health and alcohol-related problems in young adults in the community. Training in healthy coping strategies against negative affect should be useful for interventions aimed at reducing alcohol use and their harms.Fil: González Ponce, Bella. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: Vera, Belén del Valle. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Pilatti, Angelina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Parrado González, Alberto. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: Dacosta Sánchez, Daniel. Universidad de Huelva. Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación. Departamento de Psicología Clínica, Experimental y Sociale.; EspañaFil: Fernández Calderón, Fermín. Universidad de Huelva. Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación. Departamento de Psicología Clínica, Experimental y Sociale.; EspañaII Virtual Meeting of the Latin American Society for Biomedical Research on AlcoholismCórdobaArgentinaLatin American Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholis

Perceived vulnerability and intention of use protective behavioral strategies among Spanish young adults: The mediating role of drinking motives

Perceived vulnerability to alcohol consequences, a central factor in Protection Motivation Theory can motivate people to adopt health-protective behavior. However, systematic review showed that perceived vulnerability is a poor predictor of intention and behavior. From a motivational perspective on alcohol use, perceived vulnerability can be affected by reasons people have drinking. For example, previous studies showed that drinking motives predict perceived vulnerability, and drinking motives are associated with high protective behavioral strategies (PBS) use. Thus, drinking motives would explain the relationship between perceived vulnerability and intention to use PBS. The present study examines if drinking motives (social, enhancement, coping, and conformity) mediate the relationship between perceived vulnerability and intention to use PBS. Prospective design with a baseline assessment and a 2-month follow-up. We recruited 328 young adults (age: M = 21.15; SD = 2.23) who completed questionnaires to measure perceived vulnerability to negative consequences when consuming alcohol, and when getting drunk and drinking motives at baseline, and intention to use PBS at follow-up. Mediation analyses showed that higher perceived vulnerability was related to higher positive motives (social and enhancement), which was related to lower intention PBS use. Negative motives for drinking (coping and conformity) did not mediate this relationship. Our findings support the usefulness of correcting self-perceptions risk of alcohol use in interventions aimed at reducing alcohol-related harm in young adults, and drinking positive motives should be included as a component of these interventions.Fil: González Ponce, Bella. Universidad de Huelva. Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación. Departamento de Psicología Clínica, Experimental y Sociale.; EspañaFil: Dacosta Sánchez, Daniel. Universidad de Huelva. Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación. Departamento de Psicología Clínica, Experimental y Sociale.; EspañaFil: Vera, Belén del Valle. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Pilatti, Angelina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Pautassi, Ricardo Marcos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra; ArgentinaFil: Parrado González, Alberto. Universidad de Huelva; EspañaFil: Fernández Calderón, Fermín. Universidad de Huelva. Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación. Departamento de Psicología Clínica, Experimental y Sociale.; EspañaII Virtual Meeting of the Latin American Society for Biomedical Research on AlcoholismCórdobaArgentinaLatin American Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholis

Location and Distribution of the Items of a Measure of Attitudes toward Sexual Behaviors in Heterosexual and Bisexual Women Using a Rasch Model and Analysis of the Differential Functioning of the Items

El objetivo del estudio fue analizar la localización y distribución de los ítems de la Escala de Actitudes hacia Comportamientos Sexuales (EACS) en mujeres heterosexuales y bisexuales y comprobar la existencia de funcionamiento diferencial del ítem. Participaron 897 mujeres entre 18 y 35 años que contestaron dicha escala. Los resultados muestran que, en general, la localización y distribución de los ítems es similar en mujeres heterosexuales y bisexuales. Los ítems referentes a comportamientos sexuales online con pareja ocasional son los que mayores puntuaciones presentan en la medida frente a los comportamientos sexuales frecuentes con pareja estable y la masturbación en solitario que son los que menores puntuaciones presentan. Únicamente en el ítem referente al trío existe una diferencia de puntuaciones logits ligeramente superior a .5 entre las mujeres heterosexuales y bisexuales. Por tanto, la EACS es un instrumento con propiedades psicométricas adecuadas desde la TRI en mujeres heterosexuales y bisexuales.The aim of the study was to analyze the location and distribution of the items of the Scale of Attitudes toward Sexual Behaviors (SASB) in heterosexual and bisexual women and to verify the existence of differential item functioning. A total of 897 women between 18 and 35 years of age answered the scale. The results show that, in general, the location and distribution of the items is similar in heterosexual and bisexual women. The items referring to online sexual behaviors with an occasional partner are the ones with the highest scores and frequent sexual behaviors with a steady partner and solo masturbation are the ones with the lowest scores. Only in the item referring to the threesome is there a difference in logit scores slightly higher than .5 between heterosexual and bisexual women. Therefore, the SASB is an instrument with adequate psychometric properties from the IRT in heterosexual and bisexual women

A longitudinal study among young adults into the predictive effect of perceived efficacy of behavioural strategies and the moderating role of drinking motives on use of protective behavioural strategies

Although protective behavioural strategies (PBS) have shown to be effective in minimising alcohol-related negative consequences, research on the explanatory factors of their use is very scarce. Perceived efficacy has been demonstrated to be one of the most relevant explanatory factors in the use of health-related protective behaviours. The present study prospectively examines the relationship between the perceived efficacy of PBS in reducing alcohol-related negative consequences and the use of PBS in a community-based sample of young adults. In addition, the moderating role of drinking motives in this relationship is also examined. Methods. Prospective design with a baseline assessment and a 2-month follow up. Using a targeted sampling procedure, 339 young adults were recruited from the community [mean age: 21.1 (SD = 2.21); female = 50.7%] and completed questionnaires to measure perceived efficacy of PBS and drinking motives at baseline and PBS use at follow up. Results. Perceived efficacy of PBS at baseline was positively associated with PBS use at follow up, and these relationships were weaker as social, enhancement and coping motives scores increased. Discussion and Conclusions. Our findings support the need to include the perceived efficacy of PBS to reduce alcohol-related negative consequences in future interventions aimed at promoting PBS use. Moreover, these interventions should be personalised according to the initial levels of participants’ drinking motives, incorporating elements that allow for neutralising their negative effects on PBS use (e.g. training in coping skills for those with strong coping motives).Funding for this study was provided by the Consejería de Salud (Junta de Andalucía, Andalucía, Spain) under Grant Number PI-0503-2018 (Principal Investigator: Fermín Fern andez Calderon). Funding for Open Access fees provided by Universidad de Huelva/CBUA

Measurement of the cross-section and charge asymmetry of WW bosons produced in proton-proton collisions at s=8\sqrt{s}=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

This paper presents measurements of the $W^+ \rightarrow \mu^+\nu$ and $W^- \rightarrow \mu^-\nu$ cross-sections and the associated charge asymmetry as a function of the absolute pseudorapidity of the decay muon. The data were collected in proton--proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 8 TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC and correspond to a total integrated luminosity of 20.2~\mbox{fb^{-1}}. The precision of the cross-section measurements varies between 0.8% to 1.5% as a function of the pseudorapidity, excluding the 1.9% uncertainty on the integrated luminosity. The charge asymmetry is measured with an uncertainty between 0.002 and 0.003. The results are compared with predictions based on next-to-next-to-leading-order calculations with various parton distribution functions and have the sensitivity to discriminate between them.Comment: 38 pages in total, author list starting page 22, 5 figures, 4 tables, submitted to EPJC. All figures including auxiliary figures are available at https://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/PHYSICS/PAPERS/STDM-2017-13

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections for Higgs boson production in the diphoton decay channel at s√=8 TeV with ATLAS

Measurements of fiducial and differential cross sections are presented for Higgs boson production in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of s√=8 TeV. The analysis is performed in the H → γγ decay channel using 20.3 fb−1 of data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The signal is extracted using a fit to the diphoton invariant mass spectrum assuming that the width of the resonance is much smaller than the experimental resolution. The signal yields are corrected for the effects of detector inefficiency and resolution. The pp → H → γγ fiducial cross section is measured to be 43.2 ±9.4(stat.) − 2.9 + 3.2 (syst.) ±1.2(lumi)fb for a Higgs boson of mass 125.4GeV decaying to two isolated photons that have transverse momentum greater than 35% and 25% of the diphoton invariant mass and each with absolute pseudorapidity less than 2.37. Four additional fiducial cross sections and two cross-section limits are presented in phase space regions that test the theoretical modelling of different Higgs boson production mechanisms, or are sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. Differential cross sections are also presented, as a function of variables related to the diphoton kinematics and the jet activity produced in the Higgs boson events. The observed spectra are statistically limited but broadly in line with the theoretical expectations

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with isolated leptons, jets and missing transverse momentum at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing at least one isolated lepton (electron or muon), jets and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy s√=8 TeV collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb−1. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed. Limits are set on supersymmetric particle masses for various supersymmetric models. Depending on the model, the search excludes gluino masses up to 1.32 TeV and squark masses up to 840 GeV. Limits are also set on the parameters of a minimal universal extra dimension model, excluding a compactification radius of 1/R c = 950 GeV for a cut-off scale times radius (ΛR c) of approximately 30

Evidence for the Higgs-boson Yukawa coupling to tau leptons with the ATLAS detector

Results of a search for H → τ τ decays are presented, based on the full set of proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the LHC during 2011 and 2012. The data correspond to integrated luminosities of 4.5 fb−1 and 20.3 fb−1 at centre-of-mass energies of √s = 7 TeV and √s = 8 TeV respectively. All combinations of leptonic (τ → `νν¯ with ` = e, µ) and hadronic (τ → hadrons ν) tau decays are considered. An excess of events over the expected background from other Standard Model processes is found with an observed (expected) significance of 4.5 (3.4) standard deviations. This excess provides evidence for the direct coupling of the recently discovered Higgs boson to fermions. The measured signal strength, normalised to the Standard Model expectation, of µ = 1.43 +0.43 −0.37 is consistent with the predicted Yukawa coupling strength in the Standard Model