Emotional Impact and Perceived Effectiveness of Text-Only versus Graphic Health Warning Tobacco Labels on Adolescents

The study of smoking in adolescence is of major importance as nicotine dependence often begins in younger groups. Tobacco health warnings have been introduced to inform people of the negative consequences of smoking. This study assessed the emotions and perceived effectiveness of two formats of tobacco warnings on adolescents: Text-only versus graphic warning labels. In addition, we analyzed how emotions predicted their perceived effectiveness. In a cross-sectional study, 413 adolescents (131 smokers, 282 non-smokers) between 13–20 years of age rated their emotions (valence and arousal) and perceived effectiveness towards a set of tobacco warnings. Results showed that graphic warnings evoked higher arousal than text-only warning labels (p = .038). Most of the warning labels also evoked unpleasantness with smokers reporting higher unpleasantness regarding text only warnings compared to non-smokers (p = .002). In contrast, perceived effectiveness of the warnings was lower in smokers than in non-smokers (p = .029). Finally, high arousal and being a non-smoker explained 14% of the variance of perceiving the warnings more effective. Given the role that warnings may play in increasing health awareness, these findings highlight how smoking status and emotions are important predictors of the way adolescents consider tobacco health labels to be effective.This study was funded by Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (grant number: 95476) and by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology through the Research Center CIS-IUL (Ref. UID/PSI/03125/2013)

Positive emotional reactions to loved names

This is a non-reviewed, non-corrected version. It doesn't include figures. The final version of the manuscript can be consulted at DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13363Studies concerning personal attachment have successfully used loved familiar faces to prompt positive affective and physiological reactions. On the other hand, the processing of emotional words has been associated with a pattern of peripheral and central physiological responses equivalent to those found with affective pictures. The objective of this study was to assess whether the passive viewing of loved names would produce a pattern of subjective and physiological reactivity similar to that produced by the passive viewing of loved faces. The results showed that compared to neutral (unknown) and famous names, loved names produced a biphasic pattern of heart rate deceleration-acceleration, heightened skin conductance and zygomaticus muscle activity, inhibition of corrugator muscle activity, and potentiation of the startle reflex response. This pattern of physiological responses was accompanied by subjective reports of higher positive affect and arousal for loved names than for neutral and famous ones. These findings highlight not only the similarity but also the differences between the affective processing of identity recognition by loved faces and names

Diferencias por sexo na motivação, dependência e ânsia pelo consumo de cigarro em estudantes universitários

Objetivo. 0KLU[PÄJHY SHZ YLSHJPVULZ ` SHZ KPMLYLUJPHZ WVY ZL_V LU SH TV[ P]HJP}U HS JHTIPV LS UP]LS KL dependencia y el ansia ( craving ) por el consumo de cigarrillo en una muestra de estudiantes universitarios. Método. 7HY[PJPWHYVU LZ[\KPHU[LZZLSLJJPVUHKVZLU\UT\LZ[YLVHSL H[VYPVLZ[YH[PÄJHKVWVYJHYYLYHZ` semestres, a los que se les evaluó la historia de consumo de tabaco, el nivel de dependencia, el ansia por el consumo, la motivación y los procesos de cambio. Resultados. El 25.9% de la muestra que reportó consumir [HIHJVWYLZLU[}IHQVZUP]LSLZKLTV[P]HJP}UHSJHTIPV`KLKLW LUKLUJPH:LPKLU[PÄJ}\UTH`VY\ZVKL procesos cognitivos experienciales en las primeras etapas de cambio ( ps < 0.03) y un mayor uso de procesos JVUK\J[\HSLZLUSHZMHZLZÄUHSLZKLSJHTIPV ps < 0.02). La correlación entre nivel de dependencia y de TV[P]HJP}UHSJHTIPVM\LULNH[P]H`ZPNUPÄJH[P]H r = -0.321, p < 0.01), y positiva entre nivel de dependencia y de ansia por el consumo ( r = 0.417, p #5VO\IVJVYYLSHJPVULZZPNUPÄJH[P]HZLU[YLHUZPHWVYL S consumo y la etapa motivacional. En ninguna de las variables se encontró diferencia entre sexos. Conclusión. La construcción de la motivación al cambio se caracteriza por el uso de procesos cognitivos y la consolidación de la motivación por el uso de procesos conductuales

Validação colombiana do sistema internacional de imágens afetivas : evidências da origem transcultural da emoção

En Colombia no existen instrumentos validados para medir de forma fiable las dimensiones de la emoción basados en el uso de imágenes afectivas. Por esta razón, el objetivo de esta investigación fue validar en la población colombiana cuatro conjuntos de imágenes del International Affective Picture System (IAPS), y comparar los resultados con los de la población española y estadounidense con el fin de contribuir a la validación transcultural del instrumento. Los participantes fueron 404 personas (175 hombres y 229 mujeres) que evaluaron, mediante el Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM), 238 imágenes pertenecientes a los conjuntos 13, 14, 19 y 20 del IAPS. Los resultados muestran una distribución de las imágenes en el espacio afectivo delimitado por las dimensiones de valencia y arousal en forma de boomerang similar a lo encontrado en países como Estados Unidos, España y Bélgica. Se observa una mayor dispersión y menor inclinación en el polo positivo que en el polo negativo y diferencias significativas entre hombres y mujeres en la dimensión de arousal, siendo mayor la activación en ellas. Por último, se comparan estos resultados con los encontrados en otros países, y se identifican diferencias en las dimensiones de arousal y dominancia, pero no en valencia, lo cual apoya el modelo bioinformacional en el cual se afirma que la valencia es la dimensión principal sobre la cual se organizan las emociones. Con esta investigación se demuestra que el IAPS es un instrumento válido y fiable para medir las emociones.Na Colômbia não existem instrumentos validados para medir de forma confiável as dimensões da emoção baseados no uso de imagens afetivas. Por esta razão, o objetivo desta pesquisa foi validar na população colombiana quatro conjuntos de imagens do International Affective Picture System (IAPS), e comparar os resultados com os da população espanhola e estadunidense com o objetivo de contribuir à validação transcultural do instrumento. Os participantes foram 404 pessoas (175 homens e 229 mulheres) que avaliaram mediante o Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM), 238 imagens pertencentes aos conjuntos 13, 14, 19 e 20 do IAPS. Os resultados mostram uma distribuição das imagens no espaço afetivo delimitado pelas dimensões de valência e arousal em forma de bumerangue similar ao encontrado em países como Estados Unidos, Espanha e Bélgica. Observa-se uma maior dispersão e menor inclinação no polo positivo que no polo negativo e diferenças significativas entre homens e mulheres na dimensão de arousal, sendo maior a ativação nelas. Por último, comparam-se estes resultados com os encontrados em outros países, e identificam-se diferenças nas dimensões de arousal e dominância, mas não em valência, que apoia o modelo bioinformacional no qual se afirma que a valência é a dimensão principal sobre a qual se organizam as emoções. Com esta pesquisa demonstra-se que o IAPS é um instrumento válido e confiável para medir as emoções.There is a lack of validated instruments in Colombia for measuring the dimensions of emotional states in a reliable way. For this reason, this study was aimed at validating four sets of images of the International Affective Picture System (IAPS)in a Colombian sample and comparing the results with those found in Spanish and American samples in order to contribute to the instrument's cross-cultural validation. Participants were 404 people (175 men and 229 women) who assessed, through the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM), 238 images belonging to sets 13, 14, 19 and 20 of the IAPS. Results showed the classical boomerang-shaped distribution of the pictures within the affective space, demarcated by the valence and arousal dimensions. These results are consistent with those found in other countries such as the United States, Spain, and Belgium. There is a greater dispersion and less inclination in the positive pole than in the negative pole and significant differences between men and women in the arousal dimension, showing a greater activation in women. Finally, these results are compared with those found in other countries and differences are identified in the dimensions of arousal and dominance, but not in valence. This supports the bio-informational model which states that valence is the main dimension around which emotions are organized. This research shows that the IAPS is a valid and reliable instrument to measure emotions

Quality of higher education and earnings: Regression discontinuity evidence from the French Baccalaureate

An emerging body of literature examines the economic returns to quality of postsecondary education. This literature has predominantly focused on the returns to the most selective universities. However, less is known about the extent to which these gains are realized for the academically marginal student who does not necessarily attend the most selective of institutions. In this paper, we address this question by exploiting the presence of the Baccalaur\'{e}at G\'{e}n\'{e}ral (or the General Baccalaureate), a degree that students in France must earn to graduate from secondary school and enroll in postsecondary institutions. The degree is awarded upon passing a series of national exams. Students can retake the exam in the same year but the standards for passing are higher in the first round. Our data links individual-level information on secondary and postsecondary education to labor market outcomes, allowing us to track the complete educational and professional paths of all students in our sample. We use a regression discontinuity design that compares the outcomes of students who marginally pass and fail the first round of the French Baccalaureate exam. Marginally passing increases the likelihood of attending a higher quality university and a STEM major. Threshold crossing also raises earnings by 13.6 percent at the age of 27 to 29. After ruling out other channels that could affect earnings, we conclude that increased access to higher quality postsecondary education leads to a significant earnings premium for academically marginal students

Familiarity Processing through Faces and Names: Insights from Multivoxel Pattern Analysis

The way our brain processes personal familiarity is still debatable. We used searchlight multivoxel pattern analysis (MVPA) to identify areas where local fMRI patterns could contribute to familiarity detection for both faces and name categories. Significantly, we identified cortical areas in frontal, temporal, cingulate, and insular areas, where it is possible to accurately cross-classify familiar stimuli from one category using a classifier trained with the stimulus from the other (i.e., abstract familiarity) based on local fMRI patterns. We also discovered several areas in the fusiform gyrus, frontal, and temporal regions—primarily lateralized to the right hemisphere—supporting the classification of familiar faces but failing to do so for names. Also, responses to familiar names (compared to unfamiliar names) consistently showed less activation strength than responses to familiar faces (compared to unfamiliar faces). The results evinced a set of abstract familiarity areas (independent of the stimulus type) and regions specifically related only to face familiarity, contributing to recognizing familiar individuals.Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (Grant PSI2011- 28530)Cuban Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Program (PN305LH013-010

Web of Science production quality indicators of ten professors’ at the Area of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment: Additional contributions to Olivas-Ávila y Musi-Lechuga study

Los rankings de productividad científica resultan cada vez más relevantes, tanto a nivel individual como institucional. Garantizar que se basan en información confiable y exhaustiva es, por tanto, importante. Este estudio indica que la posición de los individuos en esa clase de ranking puede cambiar sustancialmente cuando se consideran diversos indicadores bibliométricos internacionalmente reconocidos. Se usa, como ilustración, el caso de los diez profesores del área de ‘Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológico’ consignados en el reciente análisis de Olivas-Ávila y Musi-Lechuga (Psicothema 2010. Vol. 22, nº 4, pp. 909-916)Rankings of scientific productivity are increasingly relevant both from an individual and a collective perspective. Therefore, making sure they are based on reliable and exhaustive information is really important. This study clearly shows that available rankings change dramatically when internationally acknowledged bibliometric indices are considered. Data from the 10 Professors belonging to the ‘Personality, Assessment, and Psychological Treatment’ Department considered in the recent analysis by Olivas-Ávila y Musi-Lechuga (Psicothema 2010. Vol. 22, nº 4, pp. 909-916) are revisited here for illustrative purposesS