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Despite Telemedicine being considered by most patients as the preferred follow-up method, bariatric surgery programs that include virtual consults still exhibit high attrition rates. This study analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of telemedicine in a single-center bariatric surgery program. We developed a 5-minute, 10-question online survey via Qualtrics and examined the results between 108 patients under telehealth visits by the bariatric team at the University of Illinois at Chicago from August to November 2022. Most patients reported telehealth utilization was easy (91%). Virtual visits were chosen as the preferred method for follow-up (88%), while avoidance of having to take time off work/school was mentioned as the leading reason. However, a small fraction (6%) considered that connecting with the bariatric team took some time/effort. Telemedicine is a fundamental tool to overcome several barriers that hinder access to obesity treatment among patients. Understanding its weaknesses will increase compliance with bariatric surgery programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies revealed a negative relationship between uncertainty avoidance tendencies and political interest at the country level. It implies that when there is a tendency to avoid uncertainties, citizens prefer not to be interested in politics. At the same time, there are findings in intergroup relations literature pointing to the intention to deal with uncertainties by participating in political activities (e.g., protests). We wonder whether a moderator, trust, impacts the relationship between uncertainty avoidance and political interest at the cultural level. The results demonstrated that (1) uncertainty is related to a decline in political interest, (2) trust has a moderator effect on the relationship between uncertainty avoidance and political interest, and (3) the moderation effect of trust is unique to the uncertainty avoidance dimension. These results revealed that trust has both enhancive and mitigative functions in the relationship between uncertainty avoidance and political interest. • Uncertainty and trust determine interest in politics across cultures. • Uncertainty avoidance tendency in a cultural structure negatively impacts political interest. • Trust moderates the negative relationship between uncertainty avoidance and political interest at the cultural level. • When trust is low, citizens in countries with high uncertainty avoidance tendencies are not interested in politics. • When trust is high, citizens in countries with high uncertainty avoidance tendencies are interested in politics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the clinical visit for abortion care, patients typically receive a handout with information about what to expect and how to care for themselves after the abortion. Published guidelines give little to no guidance regarding the content of postabortion instructions. We collected aftercare instruction handouts for first trimester procedural and medication abortion from abortion clinics throughout the United States. Instructions were coded and analyzed using conventional content analysis. Of the 84 unique aftercare handouts we received, most included information about symptoms to expect (included in 98% of procedural handouts, 97% of medication handouts), how to manage symptoms (included in 100% of procedural handouts, 100% of medication handouts), and specific behaviors to avoid (included in 94% of procedural handouts, 66% of medication handouts). The most common behavioral avoidance instructions were "pelvic rest" (included in 90% of procedural handouts, 63% of medication handouts), avoiding strenuous activity (included in 61% of procedural handouts, 29% of medication handouts), and avoiding submersion in water (included in 41% of procedural handouts, 26% of medication handouts). Handouts varied with regard to the extent and duration of specific recommendations. They also varied in tone, word choice, and other characteristics. There exists a wide range of abortion aftercare instructions throughout the United States. Inconsistency among instructions may reflect a lack of published, evidence-based clinical guidelines. Standardizing aftercare instruction handouts based on patient-oriented evidence could improve patient experience after abortion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Network analysis revealed the structure of school refusal in Chinese junior high students. • "Burden," "avoidance of studying," and "study anxiety" were identified as core features across genders. • Boys' school refusal was influenced by external factors, while girls were affected by personal educational values. To better guide school practitioners in identifying and intervening with instances of school refusal, this study employs network analysis to investigate the core manifestations among adolescents of different genders and explores the impact of various ecological factors on these characteristics. In this study, 910 middle school students in China (M age ± SD age = 13.55 ± 1.06, 48.13 % boys) were recruited to complete a paper-and-pencil survey on school refusal and its related factors. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) method was used to examine the network characteristics of school refusal and the potential influence of ecological factors on the core characteristics of school refusal. Results revealed that: (1) the core features of Chinese students' school refusal were "I consider studying a burden", "I often try to find ways to avoid studying", and "Studying often makes me feel inwardly tense and anxious", demonstrating gender consistency; and (2) there were significant gender differences in the underlying ecological factors that influence the core characteristics of Chinese students' school refusal. Specifically, boys' school refusal is more related to their parental academic involvement and teacher expectations. The higher the parents' academic involvement and teacher expectations, the lower the boys' school refusal. Girls' school refusal is more related to personal educational values ​​(the value of academic success and the future utility of education). The more girls identify with the value of education, the lower their school refusal. This study utilized network analysis to reveal unique gender differences in school refusal among Chinese adolescents. It also explored the complex interrelationships between individual, familial, and school factors and school refusal, demonstrating how these factors contribute differently in boys and girls. These findings indicated potential theoretical directions for future interventions for school refusal among Chinese students of different genders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper presents an evaluation of the Early Childhood Education Peace Ambassadors Programme. • In 16 Hong Kong kindergartens, one class implemented the programme and another served as a control. • Compared to controls, children in the programme showed increases in emotional intelligence. • Programme children showed less aggression and more helpful responses to the aggression of others. • The programme appears to be an effective way to address aggression in early childhood settings. This study explored the effect of a social emotional learning programme- the ECE-Peace Ambassador Project (ECE-PAP) − on children's (i) emotional intelligence, (ii) prosocial behaviour, (iii) aggressive behaviour with peers, (iv) and peer exclusion. Employing a quasi-experimental design, ECE-PAP was implemented in 16 schools in Hong Kong. In each school, teachers in one K3 class (4- to 5-year-olds) implemented the programme and a second K3 class served as a control (N =302). Multiple reporters (children, parents, and teachers) provided assessments of children's emotional competence, social behaviour, aggressive behaviour, and responses to peer aggression the week before the programme, the week after, and three months later. Preliminary analyses showed that at pretest, children in the experimental condition showed lower emotional intelligence and less competent responses to peer aggression than controls. However, these differences disappeared by posttest and remained non-significant at follow-up. Children in the experimental condition showed increases from pre- to posttest in emotional intelligence, emotion labelling, and taking action to stop bullying, and decreases in avoidance and aggressive responses. Implementing the programme over a greater number of weeks was associated with more positive child outcomes. These results suggest that ECE-PAP may be an effective, cost-effective way to address aggressive behaviour in kindergarten classrooms by promoting children's emotional intelligence and social skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 changed the world we live in. We need research to understand the challenges people are still experiencing. We used a longitudinal design to test the relationships among non-death loss, avoidance coping, and perceived COVID-19 impact before and after China's dramatic zero-COVID policy reversal. We tracked 270 emerging adults who just graduated from college at four time-points from June 2022 to December 2023. Two waves were conducted before the end of zero-COVID policy; one wave was immediately after the policy ended (Dec. 2022); and one wave was one full year later. Non-death losses were consistently associated with increased perceived COVID-19 impact at later stages. This association remained consistent even one year after the end of zero-COVID policy. People tended to use more avoidance coping immediately after the policy transition, but it did not have longitudinal associations with perceived COVID-19 impact. Our findings suggest that non-death loss has a long-lasting psychological impact of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of understanding how social norms influence preventative health behaviors across cultures. Based on the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB), this study investigates the direct and moderated effects of social norms on intentions to wear masks and practice social distancing cross-culturally during the peak of COVID-19 in 2020. Representative samples were recruited from the United States (N = 333) and Italy (N = 331), two countries with different cultural tightness-looseness and orientations (individualistic-collectivistic; indulgence-restraint; uncertainty avoidance). Results revealed that perceived descriptive norms directly influenced behavioral intentions in the U.S., while perceived injunctive norms were more influential in Italy. Outcome expectations moderated the relationship between descriptive norms and mask-wearing intentions in both countries. Specifically, as perceived benefits increased, the effect of norms on mask-wearing intentions attenuated in both countries. Group identity strengthened the association between descriptive norms and mask-wearing intentions only in Italy. These findings highlight that cultural differences play an important role in normative influence mechanisms, with the U.S. being more influenced by what others do (descriptive norms) and Italy by what others approve of (injunctive norms). The study contributes to the refinement of the TNSB and emphasizes the importance of considering cultural factors in developing effective norm-based interventions to address global health challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have clearly established the impact of culture on design creativity. For example, the presence of cultural values with low uncertainty avoidance (UA, the degree of anxiety and risk aversion that people feel during ambiguous situations) is linked to low workability of creative ideas. Currently, there is limited research on potential remedies to alleviate the impact of culture, specifically with respect to UA. Therefore, this study investigates the use of technology to prime UA cultural values and mitigate their potential negative impacts on design creativity. This was achieved using stimuli that had been generated by virtual reality (VR) technology and presented in an immersive environment. Participants in an experimental study were exposed to VR stimuli designed to either decrease or increase their UA. The results showed that the VR stimuli had successfully increased and decreased low and high UA values, respectively, which mitigated the influence of UA on design creativity. Furthermore, the VR stimuli influenced the emphasis of the participants on ideation, with lowered and enhanced UA values leading to them prioritizing novelty and usefulness, respectively. Overall, the findings provided evidence that VR could be leveraged from a psychological standpoint to reduce cultural influences on creativity through targeted priming. These findings indicated the essential implications of the study in terms of understanding the effect of immersive technologies in shaping human behaviors and mindsets. • Virtual reality stimuli can successfully prime the UA values of participants. • Primed high UA leads to a prioritization of the usefulness of ideas. • Primed low UA leads to a prioritization of the novelty of ideas. • VR stimuli is a promising tool for mitigating cultural influences on creativity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore parents' accounts of the goals they seek when choosing foods for their young children through the lens of goal-systems theory. In-depth interviews with parents of children aged from 6 months to 5 years. Montevideo, Uruguay. Forty-two parents (aged 19–44 years, 90% female). Parents' personal experiences, feelings, and opinions related to how they choose foods for their children. Content analysis based on deductive-inductive coding. Parents' accounts confirmed they intended to pursue different goals when choosing foods for their children. Health-related goals mainly motivated the selection of healthy foods, but they also drove the selection of some ultra-processed products because of misconceptions about their healthiness. Pleasure and enjoyment motivated the selection of ultra-processed products, whereas stress avoidance was associated with selecting convenient foods. The selection of unhealthy foods raised conflicts between goals, which were solved using goal shielding, changes in risk perception and/or compensatory health beliefs. Results point to the need for communication campaigns and community-based interventions to introduce changes in how ultra-processed products are conceptualized and increase the associations between healthy foods and children's pleasure and enjoyment to promote healthier eating patterns during infancy and early childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plusieurs recherches se développent pour soutenir les théorisations des addictions aux substances psychoactives. Parmi les pistes, le paradigme de l'attachement et la thèse des psychotraumatismes éclairent davantage la problématique. Cette étude vise à examiner l'influence de l'attachement et des psychotraumatismes dans l'étiologie des addictions aux substances psychoactives. Elle a porté sur 120 participants, dont 60 sujets dépendants aux drogues (âge moyen = 33,67 ans et écart-type = 13,47) et 60 de leurs frères et/ou sœurs (âge moyen = 25,37 ans et écart-type = 5,79) sans antécédents addictifs, y compris les addictions sans drogues. Les résultats démontrent que les sujets qui développent les troubles liés à l'utilisation aux substances psychoactives disposent des styles d'attachement insécure évitant et désorganisé. En outre, le nombre élevé de psychotraumatismes semble influencer la consommation de drogues (autres que le tabac et l'alcool). Ces résultats corroborent la contribution des perspectives attachementiste et psychotraumatique de la problématique addictive. Cependant, il faut se garder des généralisations contextuelles et s'ouvrir à d'autres modèles d'explications. Many researches are developed to support theorizations of drug addiction. Among the tracks, the attachment paradigm and the psychotrauma thesis shed more light on the problem. This study aims to examine the influence of attachment and psychotrauma in the etiology of the addictions of psychoactive substances. It involved 120 participants including 60 drug dependent subjects (average age = 33.67 years and standard deviation = 13.47) and 60 of their brothers and/or sisters (average age = 25.37 years and standard deviation = 5.79) with no addictive history, including drug-free addictions. The results show that subjects, who develop disorders linked to the use of psychoactive substances, have styles of insecure avoidance and disorganized attachment. In addition, the number of psychotraumas seems to influence the use of drugs (other than tobacco and alcohol). These results corroborate the contribution of attachmentist and psychotraumatic perspectives of addictive problem. However, we must beware of contextual generalizations and open up to other models of explanations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study intended to compare the effectiveness of thematic maps with that of tabular data in comprehension and memory of risk magnitudes, with Zika virus (ZIKV) disease outbreaks in the United States as the subject matter. The study also aimed to examine the effects of data presentation format and past occurrence information on risk perception and risk avoidance intention. This study used an experiment. Each participant was randomly assigned to view ZIKV disease 2017 incidence data presented in one of the three formats: a choropleth map, a graduated-circle map, and a table, after which they answered questions about comprehension and memory of risk magnitudes. Each participant was then randomly assigned to view or not to view incidence data of the previous occurrence of ZIKV outbreaks in 2016, after which they answered questions about risk perception and risk avoidance intention. The results revealed the effectiveness of thematic maps over tabular data in comprehension, risk perception, and risk avoidance intention. Compared to tabular data, the choropleth map led to a better comprehension of relative risk magnitudes, the graduated-circle map led to higher risk perception, and both thematic maps led to greater risk avoidance intention. In contrast, tabular data led to better recognition of absolute risk magnitudes than both thematic maps. In addition, past occurrence information enhanced risk perception and risk avoidance intention. The findings reveal the importance of data presentation format in comprehension and memory of risk magnitudes. This can be attributed to the cognitive match between the information emphasized in the presentation and that required by the tasks. The findings also suggest that data presentation format and past occurrence information are important judgmental heuristics that help to form risk perception and risk avoidance intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The relationship between intergroup contact experiences and social distancing of migrant people from majority group. • The poisoning effect of negative on the beneficial effect of positive contact of migrant people. • The stronger mediating role of anxiety compared to symbolic and stereotype threat on the effects of intergroup contact. • Positive and negative intergroup contact effects were consistent across two different countries, Italy and Turkey. This research investigates the relationship between different valence contact of migrants with native people and their motivation to avoid further interactions with the majority group, as a preventing factor of adaptation by either side. Specifically, the joint and differential effects of positive and negative contact of migrants with natives on outgroup avoidance were addressed by examining also the mediating role of affective variables such as stereotype threat, symbolic threat and anxiety. Hypotheses were tested on two samples of African immigrants in Italy and Syrian immigrants in Turkey. Positive contact was not associated with outgroup avoidance and anxiety among African respondents who reported higher negative contact with natives. This evidence was not found among Syrian immigrants. In both samples, however, the moderating role of negative contact was found on stereotype threat. Across the two samples, anxiety was the strongest mediator of the relationship between negative contact of migrants on their avoidance of the majority group. Overall, the evidence we gathered furthers knowledge of the impact of negative intergroup contact on preventing migrant social integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attachment dimensions, guilt, shame, and self-esteem influence offline and online interactions. In addition, these psychological variables are involved in the amount of time an individual uses the Internet. Few studies have examined the associations between guilt, shame, self-esteem, and attachment dimensions related to friendships and romance in the offline and online contexts, and how these variables differ between low and high Internet Users (IU). The present study explored the associations between guilt, shame, self-esteem, and attachment dimensions related to offline and online relationships and assessed the differences between low and high IU on these psychological variables. 213 participants completed online self-report questionnaires. Attachment dimensions correlated positively with corresponding dimensions across contexts. Guilt was negatively correlated with offline insecure attachment dimensions and positively with online avoidance. Shame proneness was positively correlated, and self-esteem negatively, with insecure attachment dimensions. High IU showed higher anxiety/ambivalence, lower avoidance, and guilt than low users. Avoidance was higher and anxiety/ambivalence was lower in online relationships. People would maintain the same attachment strategies in offline and online contexts. Guilt, shame, and self-esteem are differently associated with attachment dimensions in offline and online contexts. Lastly, IU showed differences in insecure attachment dimensions and guilt. • Similar attachment strategies are adopted in offline and online contexts. • Guilt-repair correlated positively with avoidance online and negatively offline. • Shame correlated positively and Self-esteem negatively with insecure attachment. • High internet users showed higher anxiety/ambivalence, lower avoidance and guilt. • Online relationships showed higher avoidance and lower anxiety/ambivalence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we critically overview existing studies on compensatory and dissociative mechanisms associated with problematic gaming, with a focus on escapism. Thus, we present a theoretical model integrating current research. In the first section, we link compensatory and dissociative processes related to gaming on a continuum that corresponds to the degree of connection/rupture between physical and virtual environments of the individual. In the second section, we discuss the strengths and limitations of existing conceptualizations and measures of escapism. We contend that escapism in gaming represents a key dimension of the compensation for difficulties in psychological needs satisfaction in the physical environment, differently from escape (avoidance) and from general immersion in video games. In the last section, we elaborate the Compensatory-Dissociative Online Gaming (C-DOG) model, which defines a set of interconnected psychological processes operationalizing the continuum between adaptive and pathological online gaming: relaxation, body-mind detachment, active escapism, escape, and dissociation. This model provides an unprecedented way to consider meaningful processes for the clinical evaluation and treatment of problematic gaming, as well as the association of problematic gaming with emerging social withdrawal conditions, such as hikikomori. • Existing theoretical and empirical literature on compensation, dissociation and escapism has been critically examined. • We propose the Compensatory-Dissociative Online Gaming model distinguishing active escapism, escape, and dissociation. • Active escapism represents the key measure of compensation while escape the avoidance of physical (vs virtual) environment. • Dissociation refers to a rigid split of virtual and physical environments, with the respective parts of individuals' self. • The C-DOG model will help investigate the link between problematic gaming and social withdrawal (i.e. Hikikomori). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In comparison to non-adoptees, adoptees reported lower levels of need satisfaction within the context of their romantic relationships. • The association between adoption status and basic need satisfaction in romantic relationships was mediated by avoidant attachment, relational entitlement, and authenticity. • Findings strengthen the claim that relational challenges associated with being adopted at a young age continue into adulthood. • The findings from this study have implications for supporting adult adoptees to overcome possible relational challenges in the context of their romantic relationships. Little is known about the challenges adoptees face in their romantic relationships. This study examines the association between adoption and three relational attitudes in romantic relationships: authenticity, pathological concern, and sense of entitlement, with a possible role for attachment style. 268 participants aged 18–60 (18.8% males, 59.3% adopted) completed online questionnaires assessing attachment dimensions and the following variables in the context of romantic relationships: sense of entitlement, pathological concern, authenticity, and basic needs satisfaction. Adoptees reported higher levels of attachment avoidance, relational entitlement, pathological concern and lower authenticity and need satisfaction within the context of their romantic relationships than non-adoptees. The association between adoption status and basic need satisfaction in romantic relationships was partially explained by avoidant attachment, relational entitlement and authenticity in relationships. Findings strengthen the claim that relational challenges associated with being adopted at a young age continue into adulthood. The dissatisfaction that adoptees tend to feel in romantic relationships appears to be driven by avoidant attachment orientation and related problematic relational attitudes (inflated and restricted sense of relational entitlement, lack of relational authenticity), rather than by adoption status per se. Longitudinal designs should be designed to further our understanding of the cause-and-effect relationships between the variables in our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19–related news is important for adherence to public health measures. We examined predictors of interest and avoidance of COVID-19 news in Lithuania. This is an online survey. An online survey was conducted between October and December 2020 targeting the general population in Lithuania. Participants rated their interest and avoidance of news about the COVID-19 pandemic, with possible answers ranging from 'completely agree' to 'completely disagree'. The participants were also evaluated for symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-8), anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7), post-traumatic stress (Impact of Event Scale-Revised) and COVID-19 fear (COVID-19 Fears Questionnaire). In total, 1036 participants (83% women) completed the survey. The results indicated that 37% of participants were losing interest in COVID-19 news, 32% had started avoiding COVID-19 news and 26% had stopped following news about COVID-19. In the multivariate regression analyses, younger age, greater post-traumatic stress symptoms, less fear of COVID-19 and less frequent use of healthcare professionals for COVID-19 information were independent predictors of decreasing/diminished interest and avoidance of COVID-19 news (all P -values <0.005). More frequent use of friends/relatives for COVID-19 information was associated with increasing avoidance and diminished interest in news about COVID-19, while more frequent use of internet news portals for COVID-19 information predicted decreasing/diminished interest in news about COVID-19, independently from other factors considered in this study. Decreasing/diminished interest and avoidance of news about COVID-19 are common and are associated with younger age, greater post-traumatic stress symptoms, less fear of COVID-19 and less frequent use of healthcare professionals for COVID-19 information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychotic experiences are prevalent in the general population and are associated with negative outcomes, including depressive symptoms. The mechanisms underlying this relationship remain unclear, but new insights could be obtained by exploring the role of transdiagnostic processes such as experiential avoidance, defined as a person's attempts or desires to suppress unwanted internal experiences like thoughts, emotions, memories, or bodily sensations. Studies analyzing the link between negative emotional states and psychotic experiences are scant. We explored the association between a specific kind of psychotic experience (paranoid ideation), experiential avoidance, and depressive, anxiety, and stress symptoms in a sample from the general population. We found that experiential avoidance partially mediates the associations between paranoid ideation and stress and anxiety symptoms and that it fully mediates the association between paranoid ideation and depressive symptoms. Our results suggest that the presence of paranoid ideation and the usage of experiential avoidance to cope with it are vulnerability factors associated with psychological distress. • The mechanisms underlying the association between paranoid ideation (PI) and negative outcomes remain unclear. • Experiential avoidance is a transdiagnostic mechanism whose relationship with PI in nonclinical samples has not been tested. • Experiential avoidance partially mediates the associations between PI and stress and anxiety symptoms. • Experiential avoidancefully mediates the association between PI and depressive symptoms. • Bidirectional associations between PI and symptomatology are plausible and require further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotional distress tolerance (EDT)-or the ability to withstand negative emotional states-is considered a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. Although EDT is theorized to play a role in anxiety development and maintenance, research aiming to delineate the relationship between anxiety and EDT is lacking. The current study tested whether self-reported EDT predicted self-reported and actual avoidance in the presence of feared stimuli using a heights-fearful sample. Moreover, the study tested whether EDT predicted other in-the-moment fear responses, such as peak anxiety, anxious cognitions, and bodily sensations. Participants (N = 128) completed questionnaires assessing fear of heights, negative affect, anxious cognitions, and bodily sensations, as well as two heights behavioral avoidance tasks (BATs). Results demonstrated that EDT did not predict actual avoidance or other in-the-moment fear responses, except for peak anxiety in one BAT. However, EDT predicted self-reported avoidance of heights beyond fear of heights and negative affect. Taken together, results suggest that perception of ability to tolerate emotional distress predicts perception of avoidance of heights, but not actual avoidance of heights or reactions to heights (with the exception of peak anxiety in one BAT). Given these findings, self-reported EDT may not adequately predict how individuals react in anxiety-provoking situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This is the first survey among a French population experiencing driving anxiety. • Respondents are classified as mildly (32%), moderately (45%) or extremely (23%) anxious. • The three groups report different impacts on daily and occupational life. • The extremely anxious group report stronger effects on quality of life and work. • The distinction of these three intensity levels is important in further research. Driving anxiety can have a significant impact on one's quality of life, particularly for those who experience intense levels. However, to date there are limited data about the perceived impact of driving anxiety on occupational life, and driving anxiety remains under-researched in France. To address this gap, an online survey assessing self-reported driving anxiety, how it manifests and its links with some aspects of personal and occupational life was designed. The survey was administered in France to respondents who identified as experiencing driving anxiety. Responses were obtained from 304 people aged 18 years or older. In the sample, 32.2%, 44.7% and 23% respectively reported mild, moderate and extreme levels of driving anxiety. In the extremely anxious group, males were under-represented, whereas people aged 35–44 and unlicensed drivers were over-represented. People who were unemployed (excluding students and retired people), reported that their anxiety had been a barrier to getting a job and a high percentage of these respondents had also previously considered leaving a position because of their anxiety. Respondents also reported their anxiety had a negative impact on their perceived quality of life in general. People who categorised as extremely anxious reported a negative impact four times higher than those in the mildly anxious group. The results highlight for the first time the perceived impact of driving anxiety on daily and occupational life in a French population. Further, the results demonstrate the importance of distinguishing between moderately and extremely anxious drivers as the intensity level has differential impacts on personal and work life quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The associations between the distinct types of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders and experiential avoidance have received mixed evidence. We, thus, undertook this meta-analysis to i) re-examine the association between obsessive-compulsive disorder and experiential avoidance, ii) extend this association to hoarding disorder, trichotillomania, and body dysmorphic disorder, and iii) identify potential variables affecting these associations. Five databases, including Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, Web of Science and CINAHL, were searched until March 15th, 2021. Meta-analyses based on random-effect models were performed. Heterogeneity and publication bias tests were applied using the I 2 statistic and the Egger's test. Meta-regression analyses were performed to identify potential moderators affecting the strength of these associations. Thirty-six unique studies based on n = 11,859 participants were identified. The association between obsessive-compulsive disorder and experiential avoidance was moderate (SMD = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.57–0.92), whereas the associations between individual obsessive-compulsive symptoms, including obsessions, responsibility for harm, ordering, checking, washing and neutralizing, and experiential avoidance ranged from low to strong (SMD ranged between 0.41 and 1.06, 95% CI = 0.25 to 1.40). The associations between hoarding disorder (SMD = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.46–1.40), trichotillomania (SMD = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.48–0.63), body dysmorphic disorder (SMD = 1.55, 95% CI = 0.72–2.37) and experiential avoidance were moderate to strong. Meta-regression analyses demonstrated that studies using the AAQ/AAQ-II scales for measuring experiential avoidance, and/or self-report scales for assessing OCRDs contributed smaller effect sizes. These findings suggest that reducing experiential avoidance may be a viable way of complementing exposure strategies in alleviating obsessive-compulsive and related symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A new temperament-brain-attitude circuit has been investigated. • Cingulum is potentially a key tract explaining individual differences in hostility. • HA is a significant susceptibility temperament of hostility. As a textbook manifestation of an aggressive attitude, hostility can pose a serious threat to both an individual's life and the security of society at large. Past evidence suggests that some anxiety-related traits may be more prone to giving rise to hostility. However, many aspects of hostility, such as, determining the susceptible temperament for hostility, the neural basis of hostility, and the underlying mechanisms through which having a susceptible temperament generates hostility in a healthy brain, remain unclear. In this study, we sought to delve into these questions by assessing temperament and brain white matter integrity using self-report questionnaires and diffusion tensor imaging in a sizable sample of healthy adults (n = 357). First, we investigated the relationship between hostility and the four temperaments of the Cloninger model. Then, we investigated which white matter tracts were significantly correlated with hostility using a whole-brain analysis. Finally, we used a mediation analysis to explore the tripartite relationship between vulnerability temperament, the fractional anisotropy (FA) value of the white matter, and hostility. Our results suggest that a harm avoidance temperament may be susceptible to hostility and that the cingulum may be a key white matter region responsible for hostility. Based on these results, we developed a temperament-brain-attitude pathway showing how harm avoidance temperament could affect the brain and ultimately lead to hostility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objectives of the study were to explore (1) preschoolers' anticipation when trying a new food and (2) preschoolers' past experiences with the food they like and do not like. Two semistructured interviews were conducted 3–7 days apart with each participant. Through thematic analysis, themes and subthemes related to children's food-related perspectives were identified. A total of 34 preschoolers (4–5 years old) from low-income families in North Carolina participated in the study. Three major themes were found: preschoolers' avoidance techniques, predictors behind preschoolers' food-related emotions, and preschoolers' description of their food preferences. Preschoolers were able to discuss both their positive and negative food-related emotions and perspectives. Thus, strategies allowing children to discuss their perspectives of food could provide new insights into children's food preferences and improve dietary quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International students face a variety of challenges in their acculturation process. Acculturation, the process of adapting to a new cultural environment, is highly variable and influenced by environmental and individual factors that exist before or arise during acculturation. Among the moderating personal factors existing prior to acculturation, adult attachment has received attention as an important variable impacting the acculturation process and adaptation outcomes. Based on the bi-dimensional model of acculturation (Berry, 1997) and the concept of adult attachment (Bowlby, 1977), the current study hypothesized that an insecure attachment (i.e., high attachment anxiety and avoidance) would predict more acculturative stress, less psychological adaptation, and less sociocultural adaptation. We also hypothesized that students who highly identified with their heritage culture and were highly acculturated to the U.S. culture would experience higher levels of psychological and sociocultural adaptation. Also, we examined if adult attachment moderated the effects of acculturation on international students' psychological and sociocultural adaptation. International students enrolled in higher education institutions in different geographic locations in the United States (N = 221) completed measures of adult attachment, acculturation, acculturative stress, and psychological and sociocultural adaptation. The results suggested that attachment anxiety was a significant predictor of international students' psychological adaptation. High acculturation to the U.S. significantly predicted more sociocultural adaptation. Attachment avoidance significantly moderated the effect of acculturation to the U.S. culture on international students' psychological distress, while attachment anxiety was a significant moderator for the effect of acculturation to the U.S. culture on sociocultural adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Fear-Avoidance Model was developed with patients who had sustained neck and back injuries and describes a cascade of events after pain that is perceived as threatening, which may lead to avoidance of valued and meaningful life activities. The literature examining burn survivors suggests they may experience fear-avoidance, however, their lived experience has yet to be thoroughly explored and the evaluation tool that has been used is four items extracted from the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia that were modified for burn survivors, but never formally validated with this population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore, through a mixed methods approach, the lived experience of burn survivors with respect to fear-avoidance and determine whether the reduced four question Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (4TSK) reflects and accurately measures their experience. Burn survivors (n = 17) who had undergone surgical debridement and grafting were recruited. They completed the reduced 4TSK and participated in an in-depth interview to explore their lived experience regarding fear-avoidance and their opinions on the relevance of the questions. The interviews were analyzed using a thematic-analysis approach. Five major themes that represented the lived experience of fear-avoidance in burn survivors were identified: perceived vulnerability to re-injury, others as fear influencers, difficulties & hardships during recovery, engagement in activity, and active thoughts. Based upon the interviews researchers identified 9 potential fear-avoidant participants, which differed from the screening results from the reduced 4TSK (n = 12). Overall, this study demonstrated the potential uniqueness of the burn survivor population and provided insight into their lived experience of fear of movement or activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiential avoidance, a trait-like construct referring to the tendency to rigidly avoid or change unpleasant internal experiences stemming from an unwillingness to experience them, is believed to contribute to the development and maintenance of various forms of psychopathology. Despite significant research on this construct, it remains unclear whether experiential avoidance is dimensional or categorical at the latent level. The current study examined the latent structure of experiential avoidance using three taxometric analytic approaches (MAXimum Eigenvalue, Mean Above Minus Below A Curve, Latent-Mode Factor Analysis) applied to data from two independent samples and using three widely used measures of experiential avoidance. The first sample (n = 922) completed the Multidimensional Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (Gámez, Chmielewski, Kotov, Ruggero, & Watson, 2011), while the second sample (n = 615) completed the Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (Gámez et al., 2014) and Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (Bond et al., 2011). Across both samples and all three measures, experiential avoidance exhibited a dimensional structure. The clinical and research implications of this finding for experiential avoidance are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Beliefs are an important target for the management of musculoskeletal pain. • Behavioural learning is key to elicit and disconfirm unhelpful beliefs. • We propose key principles to guide clinicians in promoting behavioural change. • A case illustrates the role beliefs have on musculoskeletal pain management. Beliefs about the body and pain play a powerful role in behavioural and emotional responses to musculoskeletal pain. What a person believes and how they respond to their musculoskeletal pain can influence how disabled they will be by pain. Importantly, beliefs are modifiable and are therefore considered an important target for the treatment of pain-related disability. Clinical guidelines recommend addressing unhelpful beliefs as the first line of treatment in all patients presenting with musculoskeletal pain. However, many clinicians hold unhelpful beliefs themselves; while others feel ill-equipped to explore and target the beliefs driving unhelpful responses to pain. As a result, clinicians may reinforce unhelpful beliefs, behaviours and resultant disability among the patients they treat. To assist clinicians, in Part 1 of this paper we discuss what beliefs are; how they are formed; the impact they can have on a person's behaviour, emotional responses and outcomes of musculoskeletal pain. In Part 2, we discuss how we can address beliefs in clinical practice. A clinical case is used to illustrate the critical role that beliefs can have on a person's journey from pain and disability to recovery. We encourage clinicians to exercise self-reflection to explore their own beliefs and better understand their biases, which may influence their management of patients with musculoskeletal pain. We suggest actions that may benefit their practice, and we propose key principles to guide a process of behavioural change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pathological demand avoidance (PDA) was coined in the 1980s to describe children on the spectrum of pervasive developmental disorders who show an obsessive resistance to everyday demands, an extreme need for control, and an apparently poor sense of social identity, pride, or shame. The term PDA has since attracted considerable interest and controversy. Here, we provide an overview of PDA, discuss the clinical presentation of individuals with a PDA profile, and differences compared to children with documented attachment difficulties. We then discuss empirical work describing how anxiety-driven avoidance of routine demands can emerge in children with ASD. We provide recommendations for strategies that aim to avoid strengthening habitual avoidance behaviours, and instead, allow new mutually rewarding routines to develop, which may provide opportunities to gradually increase the child's tolerance of demands. We argue that using the PDA profile, or describing relevant behaviours, as part of a clinical formulation can be helpful in alerting caregivers and educational professionals to particular challenges surrounding compliance with everyday requests in some children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Two-way active avoidance acquisition in rodents is an approach-avoidance conflict • Two-way active avoidance acquisition is negatively related to anxiety • Two-way active avoidance acquisition is facilitated by anxiolytic treatments • Two-way active avoidance acquisition is impaired by anxiogenic drugs or treatments Two-way active avoidance (TWAA) acquisition constitutes a particular case of approach –avoidance conflict for laboratory rodents. The present article reviews behavioural, psychopharmacological and neuroanatomical evidence accumulated along more than fifty years that provides strong support to the contention that anxiety is critical in the transition from CS (conditioned stimulus)-induced freezing to escape/avoidance responses during the initial stages of TWAA acquisition. Thus, anxiolytic drugs of different types accelerate avoidance acquisition, anxiogenic drugs impair it, and avoidance during these initial acquisition stages is negatively associated with other typical measures of anxiety. In addition behavioural and developmental treatments that reduce or increase anxiety/stress respectively facilitate or impair TWAA acquisition. Finally, evidence for the regulation of TWAA acquisition by septo-hippocampal and amygdala-related mechanisms is discussed. Collectively, the reviewed evidence gives support to the initial acquisition of TWAA as a paradigm with considerable predictive and (in particular) construct validity as an approach-avoidance conflict-based rodent anxiety model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The sample was comprised of victims of an RTC. • Trauma appraisals of fear and driving cognitions predict fear of driving. • Trauma appraisals of fear and driving cognitions predict avoidance of driving. Fear and avoidance of driving are possible consequences of involvement in road traffic crashes (RTCs). Few studies have assessed the factors associated with fear and avoidance of driving after an RTC. The aim of this present study is to investigate the relations among trauma appraisals of fear, negative driving cognitions, fear and avoidance of driving in a sample of people who experienced vehicle crashes. Further, the mediating role of negative driving cognitions in the relation between trauma appraisals, fear of driving and avoidance of driving was assessed. The sample was comprised of 116 drivers who had been involved in an RTC in the past two years. Negative driving cognitions positively predicted fear of driving and avoidance of driving. Moreover, negative driving cognitions mediated the relation among trauma appraisals of fear with fear of driving and avoidance of driving. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is a serious problem among military personnel returning from combat deployments, and is related to a range of adverse outcomes including alcohol and drug abuse, family violence and suicide. The present study explores how psychological hardiness, avoidance coping, and combat stress exposure may influence depression in U.S. Army soldiers returning from a one-year deployment to Afghanistan.Methods: National Guard soldiers (N = 357) completed surveys upon their return to home station, including measures of hardiness, avoidance coping, combat exposure, and depression. Path analysis with ordinary least squares regression procedures (PROCESS program; Hayes, 2013) were applied to test for mediation and moderation effects among the study variables.Results: Results showed a pattern of moderated-mediation. In the mediation model, hardiness had a significant effect on depression, which was mediated by avoidance coping. Soldiers low in hardiness reported using more avoidance coping strategies, which was related to increased depression. This effect in turn was seen to be conditional, moderated by level of combat exposure such that the effect was stronger at high levels of exposure.Limitations: Data are cross-sectional, and the sample consisted of male soldiers only, which may limit generalizability.Conclusions: Depression and related problems among combat veterans may be diminished by applying training programs and policies aimed at increasing hardiness attitudes and active coping skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Pain-avoidance is considered to be one of the major leading factors to develop a chronic low back pain (CLBP). In this study, we aimed to translate the Behavioral Avoidance Test-Back Pain (BAT-Back) into Turkish and evaluate its psychometric properties in patients with CLBP.Methods: 115 patients with CLBP filled the provided socio-demographic information form, the "Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)", the "Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ)", the "Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK)", and the "Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale (HADS)". All patients and 40 pain free controls (PFC) were administered the Turkish version (TrBAT-Back) of the "Behavioral Avoidance Test-Back Pain" test. The internal consistency was evaluated with Cronbach's α coefficient. The test-retest reliability was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). To evaluate the structural validity of TrBAT-Back, its correlation with FABQ, TSK, ODI, and HADS was examined.Results: The internal consistency of TrBAT-Back was excellent (Cronbach's α = 0.97) and its test-retest reliability was good (ICC = 0.87). Its high correlation with the FABQ-physical activity scores and moderate correlation with the TSK scores supported the structural validity. The TrBAT-Back scores showed a statistically significant moderate correlation with the higher level of pain and disability. Despite the low degree of positive correlation, a high level of anxiety (HADS-anxiety) is potentially associated with avoidance behaviour. CLBP patients and controls differed significantly on TrBAT-Back avoidance scores.Conclusion: We are of the opinion that, compared to the self-report scales, TrBAT-Back will provide more objective data in detecting avoidance behaviour associated with pain in Turkish speaking patients with CLBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guided by the conflict face-negotiation theory and the culturally based romantic relationship model, this study employed in-depth interviews with twelve intercultural couples (n = 24) to explore relational dynamics and nuances of couples handling conflicts and developing dyadic cultural affinity through their conflict management experiences. Aligning with extant literature, our findings uncovered five conflict management styles employed by intercultural couples: avoiding, competing, compromising, yielding, and emotional expression. Additionally, three primary relational outcomes emerged from the data: reaching temporary satisfaction, recognizing positive changes, and identifying recurrent problems. The findings further demonstrated how intercultural romantic partners developed dyadic cultural affinity by progressively gaining deeper mutual understanding through their conflict interactions, building consensus, and consequently nurturing a shared sense of cultural affinity as a couple. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on 71 semi-structured, in-depth interviews conducted with Turkey-originated migrants who live in Norway, this article discusses whether and what kinds of differences Turkish migrants in Norway perceive in the notions of privacy and intimacy between the Turkish and Norwegian contexts, and the implications of this perceived difference for their social interactions in Norway. While many of them value the social recognition of the right to privacy in Norway, they also think that avoidance of asking personal questions creates barriers in establishing close relationships and intimacy. For them, this contrasts with Turkey, where even strangers can easily ask personal questions or make comments that violate others' privacy, but where people can easily establish warm, close, and deeper relationships. While they think that Norwegians are generally distant and reserved in interpersonal relationships, they find them more distant in their relationships with non-Norwegians. They think that the suspicion towards and fear of foreigners goes together with Norwegian people's preference to interact with people who are very similar to them. Based on the experiences and comparisons of these migrants who have lived in (at least) two country contexts, this article discusses the relationship between privacy and intimacy as one where the expansion of the former weakens the latter. Considering privacy as a process of boundary regulation where individuals control how much contact they will maintain with others, culturally induced differences in expectations about where to draw that boundary creates barriers in communication between individuals who were socialized in different country contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burnout among esports players is a serious issue affecting competitive and professional players. The present study investigated the relationship between resilience, coping, and burnout among esports players using network analysis. Esports players (N = 453; M age = 23.0 years, SD = 4.18; in the top 40% of in-game rank) who competed in one of seven popular team-based esports completed the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), Coping Functions Questionnaire (CFQ; assessing problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance coping), and Athlete Burnout Scale (ABO-S; assessing a reduced sense of accomplishment, physical exhaustion, and negative feelings towards esport). Responses were assessed with Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator regularised partial correlations (EBICglasso). Findings showed a distinct network of resilience factors, coping skills, and symptoms of burnout. More specifically, resilience factors were negatively associated with symptoms of burnout and positively associated with problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidance coping. Problem-focused coping had a strong expected influence on the network and was positively associated with multiple resilience factors. Moreover, avoidance coping had a strong influence on the network but was positively associated with multiple symptoms of burnout. Finally, a reduced sense of accomplishment (burnout) was negatively associated with multiple resilience factors and positively associated with avoidance coping. The combined results of the present study suggest that resilience and coping are important factors for understanding burnout among esports players. • This is the first paper to use a Network Analysis to explore burnout, resilience, and coping among esports players. • Resilience factors were negatively associated with symptoms of burnout. • Resilience factors were positively associated with problem-focused coping. • Avoidance coping was positively associated with symptoms of burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic social defeat (CSD)-induced social avoidance is considered to model a feature of stress-related mental dysfunction, while its absence has been used as a proxy of resilience in rodents. However, knowledge on the mechanisms shaping CSD-induced individual outcomes remains fragmentary. Fear conditioning has been described as a suitable model in humans for better understanding the pathophysiology of stress related mental disorders. We sought to explore the extent to which conditioned learning is involved in CSD-induced social avoidance. In experiment 1 (social avoidance specificity), C57BL/6 J male mice underwent CSD followed by a modified social interaction test offering the simultaneous choice between an unknown mouse from the aggressor's strain or a mouse from a different strain and phenotypic characteristics. In experiment 2 (social avoidance extinction), CSD-extinction sessions involving only the sensory phase of CSD were conducted on one group of defeated mice whereas a second group only received handling, followed by social interaction test with a novel mouse from the aggressor's strain. Our results provide evidence that CSD-induced social avoidance does not generalize to other phenotypic characteristics than those of the aggressors and can be successfully reversed during extinction training. Taken together, our findings strongly point to the involvement of conditioned learning in shaping CSD-induced social avoidance, a finding that is of interest to future studies into the neurobiology of resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The field of active avoidance has used the same task in rodents for over 80 years, without updates. • Platform-mediated avoidance (PMA) models aspects of clinical avoidance that classical tasks do not. • Prelimbic cortex promotes PMA by disinhibiting BA-responsive neurons in VS. Traditional active avoidance tasks have advanced the field of aversive learning and memory for decades and are useful for studying simple avoidance responses in isolation; however, these tasks have limited clinical relevance because they do not model several key features of clinical avoidance. In contrast, platform-mediated avoidance (PMA) more closely resembles clinical avoidance because the response i) is associated with an unambiguous safe location, ii) is not associated with an artificial termination of the warning signal, and iii) is associated with a decision-based appetitive cost. Recent findings on the neuronal circuits of PMA have confirmed that amygdala-striatal circuits are essential for avoidance. In PMA, however, the prelimbic cortex facilitates the avoidance response early during the warning signal, perhaps through disinhibition of the striatum. Future studies on avoidance should account for additional factors such as sex differences and social interactions that will advance our understanding of maladaptive avoidance contributing to neuropsychiatric disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, mobile devices have increasingly become a key target for phishing attacks. As such, mobile users need to be able to confidently apply different security safeguards to thwart these mobile phishing threats. Thus, anti-phishing self-efficacy can be instrumental in explaining mobile phishing avoidance behavior. Therefore, the present study proposed a model to explain how anti-phishing self-efficacy along with anticipated regret and gender influences mobile users phishing avoidance behavior. Using data from 231 respondents, the study showed that besides the direct positive influence of both anti-phishing self-efficacy and anticipated regret on mobile phishing avoidance motivation and behavior, the interaction of these factors also has a positive and significant influence on avoidance behavior. Additionally, gender significantly moderated the influence of anti-phishing self-efficacy on both avoidance motivation and behavior with the relationships being more pronounced for women than for men. These results provide an enriched understanding of mobile phishing avoidance behavior, especially by showing the interactions of anti-phishing self-efficacy with anticipated regret and gender. • Anti-phishing self-efficacy(SE) influences mobile phishing avoidance behavior. • Anticipated regret(AR) influences mobile phishing avoidance behavior. • The interaction of SE and AR influences mobile phishing avoidance behavior. • The influence of SE on phishing avoidance behavior is moderated by gender. • Significant gender differences in SE and AR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigated Facebook avoidance motives from a socioanalytic perspective, by arguing that individuals' motives behind Facebook avoidance are the same as the reasons for using Facebook, namely the need to belong and the need for self-presentation. The difference is that these needs are pursued differently by Facebook non-users. We argued that these differences are driven by protective self-presentation strategies that should characterize Facebook non-users, and that these strategies should be reflected in the content of their mentioned motives for Facebook avoidance. We also hypothesized that emotionality will predict Facebook avoidance and that political skill will moderate this relationship. Political skill is defined as 'the ability to effectively understand others at work and to use such knowledge to influence others to act in ways that enhance one' s personal and/or organizational objectives' (Ferris et al., 2005). Using a mix of qualitative techniques, five dimensions of Facebook avoidance were identified: (1) Doubt, (2) Fear of rejection, (3) Fear of addiction, (4) Uninterest in exposure, and (5) Fear of conflict. The content of these Facebook avoidance dimensions was interpreted as expressions of protective self-presentation, being positively predicted by personality dimensions that are associated with protective self-presentation such as emotionality, irrespective of the level of political skill. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. • Five dimensions of Facebook avoidance were identified. • These dimensions were interpreted as expressions of protective self-presentation. • Emotionality positively predicted Facebook avoidance irrespective of the level of political skill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The reduced reward positivity (RewP) has been related to greater depression symptoms and course. • Greater RewP latency was associated with greater depression symptoms and higher behavioral avoidance-motivation, as assessed by self-report. • Blunted reward response was associated with depression only when avoidance motivation was included in the model. • Less efficient processing of reward in adolescents is associated with greater avoidance, which in turn, is associated with depression symptom presentation in cross-sectional analyses. • Results support theories highlighting the role of avoidance of reward (e.g., reward devaluation theory) in depression maintenance. Blunted neural responses to reward in an EEG paradigm (RewP) are associated with vulnerability to depression, but the pathways linking this biomarker to depressive symptoms are unclear. We examined whether the relationship between reward response (RewP mean amplitude and latency) and depression was in part explained by approach-motivated behaviors in adolescents with varying levels of depression. EEG was collected during a game rigged to provide win/loss trials. Longer RewP latency was associated with depression symptoms only when scores on a measure of avoidance motivation were included. These results suggest that treatments targeting avoidance may decrease vulnerability to depressive episodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a mediation model to explain the relationship between attachment and Social Networking Site (SNS) addiction. Drawing upon the Needs-Affordances-Features model, we investigate the mediating role of satisfaction of the innate psychological needs that are salient in the SNS context (i.e., need for relatedness, need for self-presentation, and need for autonomy). Based on an empirical study of 314 daily Facebook users, results reveal distinct effects of attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance on SNS addiction through the satisfaction of different psychological needs. Satisfaction of the need for relatedness and the need for self-presentation mediates the positive relationship between attachment anxiety and SNS addiction. Satisfaction of these needs also mediates the negative relationship between attachment avoidance and SNS addiction. Satisfaction of the need for autonomy mediates the positive relationship between attachment avoidance and SNS addiction. We conclude the study with the implications for research and practice. • Need satisfaction for relatedness mediated the positive relationship between attachment anxiety and SNS addiction. • Need satisfaction for self-presentation mediated the positive relationship between attachment anxiety and SNS addiction. • Need satisfaction for relatedness mediated the negative relationship between attachment avoidance and SNS addiction. • Need satisfaction for self-presentation mediated the negative relationship between attachment avoidance and SNS addiction. • Need satisfaction for autonomy mediated the positive relationship between attachment avoidance and SNS addiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, it is still a matter of debate, whether valence or valence and arousal interactively foster implicit approach and avoidance tendencies, and which neural circuitries underlie these effects. To address these questions, we investigated the effects of valence and arousal on implicit approach/avoidance tendencies during fMRI in healthy volunteers (N=46). The implicit approach of positive social scenes was associated with shorter response preparation times and increased activation of the lingual, parahippocampal and fusiform gyri. Valence and arousal did not influence reaction times interactively, but we observed increased activation of prefrontal, motor, temporal, middle cingulate and parietal cortex during the approach of positive highly arousing and negative mildly arousing pictures, and the avoidance of positively mildly arousing and negative highly arousing pictures. These findings confirm the facilitation of implicit approach by positive scenes and advance our understanding regarding the neurobiological correlates of implicit approach-/avoidance biases. • Approach-/ avoidance biases are thought to be relevant for different psychopathologies such as anxiety or addiction. • We investigated, which characteristics of a situation (valence, arousal) determine approach-/ avoidance biases using fMRI. • Independent of arousal, positive valence fostered faster implicit approach behavior. • Individual differences in the behavioral activation system also determine the approach of positive scenes. • During the implicit approach of positive scenes, we observed greater activity in brain regions relevant for face processing and motor responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual avoidance of unpleasant stimuli (i.e., strategic positioning of eyes, head and torso away from an environmental stimulus) is a common attentional control behavior that may down-regulate emotion by reducing visual input. Despite its ubiquity, relatively little is known about how visual avoidance is affected by neurological diseases that impact neural circuits involved in emotional functioning. We examined visual avoidance in 56 behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) patients, 43 Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, and 34 healthy controls. Participants came to our laboratory and viewed an extremely disgusting film clip while visual avoidance was measured using behavioral coding of head, body, and eye position. Controlling for differences in cognitive functioning, bvFTD patients were less likely to engage in visual avoidance behaviors than both AD patients and healthy controls. Additional analyses revealed that diminished visual avoidance in this task was associated with lower levels of real-world emotion regulation but not with emotion reactivity as reported by the primary caregiver. • Visual avoidance (VA) is an attentional control behavior that may regulate emotion. • Neurological diseases such as behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD) may impact VA. • We examined VA in patients with bvFTD and Alzhiemer's disease (AD) and controls. • Patients with bvFTD showed deficits in VA compared to both AD patients and controls. • Lower VA was associated with lower real-world emotion regulation (caregiver-reported). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Methanol stem bark extract of Ficus platyphylla (FP) did not interfere with the acquisition or consolidation of the active avoidance reaction. • FP affected the retrieval of the active avoidance reaction. • FP dose-dependently induced hypothermia. • FP-induced hypothermia could be reversed by administering amphetamine. • FP contains psychoactive principles with potential antipsychotic properties. Abstract Preparations of Ficus platyphylla are used in Nigeria's folk medicine to manage a variety of diseases, including insomnia, psychoses, depression, epilepsy, pain, and inflammation. In this study, we examined the effects of the standardised methanol extract of F. platyphylla stem bark (FP) on two-way active avoidance learning and body core temperature to complement earlier studies on the neuroleptic potential of this medicinal plant, which is already in common use. The extract did not interfere with the acquisition and consolidation of the conditioned avoidance reaction (CAR), but did diminish the retrieval of CAR. The extract dose-dependently reduced body core temperature; this was significantly ameliorated by the use of amphetamine. The results confirmed the neuroleptic-like efficacy of FP, probably via the modulation of dopaminergic neurons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Computational model of behaviour and dopamine in the approach-avoidance task of Gentry et al. (2016). • Good avoidance of shock is accounted for by purely instrumental factors. • Poor avoidance can be explained by Pavlovian misbehaviour. In active avoidance tasks, subjects have to learn to execute particular actions in order to avoid an aversive stimulus, such as a shock. Such paradigms pose a number of psychological and neural enigmas, and so have attracted substantial computational interest. However, the ratio of conjecture to confirmation remains high. Here, we perform a theoretical inquiry into a recent experiment by Gentry, Lee, and Roesch ('Phasic dopamine release in the rat nucleus accumbens predicts approach and avoidance performance', Nat. Commun. , 7:13154) who measured phasic dopamine concentrations in the nucleus accumbens core of rats whilst they avoided shocks, acquired food, or acted to gain no programmed outcome. These last, neutral, trials turned out to be a perfect probe for the workings of avoidance, partly because of the substantial differences between subjects and sessions revealed in the experiment. We suggest a way to interpret this probe, gaining support for opponency-, safety-, and Pavlovian-influenced treatments of avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigations in the neocortex have revealed that the balance of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission (E/I ratio) is important for proper information processing. The disturbance of this balance underlies many neuropsychiatric illnesses, including autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. However, little is known about the contribution of E/I balance to the functioning of subcortical brain regions, such as the lateral septum (LS), a structure that plays important roles in regulating anxiety-related behavior. We manipulated E/I balance in the mouse LS by localized conditional deletion of neuroligin-2, a postsynaptic cell adhesion protein located at gamma-aminobutyric acidergic synapses and important for inhibitory synaptic transmission. We then performed analyses of synaptic transmission in the LS, stress-induced expression of immediate early gene c-fos , and anxiety-related and depression-related behavior. The absence of neuroligin-2 in the LS in the mature mouse brain resulted in postsynaptic impairment of inhibitory synaptic transmission. Importantly, the reduced inhibition and resulting E/I imbalance decreased the responsiveness of LS neurons to stress. Furthermore, this E/I imbalance in the LS was associated with impaired stress-induced activation of downstream hypothalamic nuclei and reduced avoidance behavior of the animals in the elevated plus maze. Our results described the synaptic function of neuroligin-2 in the LS, uncovered a positive association between c-Fos–expressing neurons in the LS and downstream hypothalamic areas and avoidance behavior, and demonstrated that intact inhibitory synaptic transmission and proper E/I balance are required for the optimal functioning of this subcortical circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Previous studies have shown that several aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) agonists, including β-naphthoflavone (BNF), elicit avoidance of novel food items in rodents, with this behavioral response displaying a similar dose-response to hepatic induction of CYP1A1. The avoidance has been found to bear substantial similarity to conditioned taste avoidance/aversion (CTA). The present study set out to confirm the indispensability of AHR in the avoidance response, to verify whether vagal afferent fibers are involved in it, and to see if AHR signaling might interfere with the effect of the classic trigger of CTA, LiCl. To this end, globally AHR deficient (AHRKO) or vagotomized wildtype rats were treated by gavage with 60 mg/kg BNF or ip with 0.15 M LiCl (4 ml/kg), and presented with chocolate which was either novel or familiar to them. Both the avoidance response and Cyp1a1 induction were missing in AHRKO rats. In contrast, Ahr +/− rats exhibited them in full, save for a single outlier. Total subdiaphragmatic vagotomy failed to interfere with the avoidance of novel or familiar chocolate or induction of Cyp1a1. After LiCl administration, male AHRKO rats showed a significantly mitigated suppression of chocolate consumption compared with wildtype animals (~60% vs. ~10% of control chocolate intake, respectively). A similar tendency was seen in females, but they were less responsive to LiCl. These findings corroborate AHR as a prerequisite of the BNF-induced novel food avoidance, prove vagal afferents unlikely mediators of this response, and imply an unforeseen involvement of AHR signaling in the thoroughly-characterized CTA instigated by LiCl. Highlights • AH receptor knockout (AHRKO) rats do not exhibit BNF-induced novel food avoidance. • The response is preserved in heterozygous AHRKO rats. • Vagotomy does not interfere with this behavioral response in wildtype rats. • Also conditioned taste aversion triggered by LiCl is attenuated in AHRKO rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We tested for the temporal persistence of spatial disgust avoidance. • Interstimulus-intervals (ISI) of a spatial cueing paradigm were varied. • Behaviorally, spatial disgust avoidance was present independent of ISI. • P3-activity, as indicator for spatial avoidance, was independent of ISI. • Contrarily, neutral cued targets showed a behavioral and neuronal IOR. Recently, we showed that disgusting sound cues direct spatial attention away from the location of their origin to the opposite location indicating spatial disgust avoidance (Zimmer et al., 2015, Psychophysiology; 2016, Neuroimage). However, in these studies, we had solely used an inter-stimulus interval (ISI) of 200–300 ms, leaving unclear how disgust avoidance develops over time. Studies have shown that spatial attraction due to anger persists longer when induced by auditory rather than visual stimuli. In the present ERP-study, one of two laterally presented sounds (neutral/disgust) cued a laterally presented visual target. ISIs varied from short (50–150 ms) over middle (350–450 ms) to long (650–750 ms). For disgust stimuli, response times were longer for invalidly cued targets compared to validly cued targets, reflecting disgust avoidance. There was an increased P3 amplitude for validly versus invalidly cued targets consistent with disgust avoidance. In contrast, in the neutral condition, we found evidence of inhibition of return (IOR), as we observed a reversal of the usual validity effect from short to long ISI in the behavioral data and on the P1-component. These results indicate that spatial avoidance motivated by auditory disgust persists over time, presumably enforced by emotional rather than general attentional processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Relationships between Food Neophobia and personality were examined. • Food Neophobia was represented by two factors, approach and avoidance tendencies. • Approach tendencies were positively related to Openness and Agreeableness. • Avoidance tendencies were negatively related to Openness and Extraversion. • Preference for novel foods may consist of two distinct negatively related processes. Abstract Although food neophobia is a widely researched individual difference, little is known about relationships between food neophobia and personality. Participants in the present study (716 undergraduates) completed measures of the Five Factor Model of personality and food neophobia. A factor analysis suggested that food neophobia consisted of two factors, which we labeled as approach and avoidance factors. Multiple regression analyses found that scores on the approach factor were positively related to Agreeableness and Openness, whereas scores on the avoidance factor were negatively related to Extraversion and Openness. These findings suggest that it might be useful to think of food neophobia as consisting of two distinct, albeit related factors, and that the origins of food neophobia may lie, at least partially, in basic personality characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Given that the future of corporate social responsibility depends on upcoming generations' attitudes, a better understanding of the relationship between corporate social responsibility orientation and its predictors has significant implications for various stakeholders. This study sought to examine the factors that influence students' corporate social responsibility orientation in higher education contexts. To this end, primary data were collected through questionnaires distributed to undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, a northern Portuguese public institution. Although personal values, gender, religion, political ideology, academic field of study, and volunteerism appear to influence some corporate social responsibility orientation dimensions, the results only show significant relationships with gender, religion, and volunteerism. The most important findings include that women, religious students, and those who volunteer have a stronger philanthropic orientation and that women appear to have a more intense ethical orientation. In addition, the research conducted facilitated the definition of student profiles for each corporate social responsibility orientation dimension. This study's results provide interesting evidence of orientation-determinant links, which expands the literature on corporate social responsibility, especially regarding higher education contexts. As university students are about to make important choices regarding their careers, these findings may help to broaden the field of corporate social responsibility research by identifying factors that contribute to shaping students' corporate social responsibility orientation. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed, highlighting what still needs to be done to encourage corporate social responsibility orientation in higher education programs. Highlights • Gender, religion and volunteerism are significantly related with students' CSRO. • Women, religious students and volunteers have a greater philanthropic orientation. • Women appear to have a stronger ethical orientation. • The research allowed defining student profiles for each CSRO dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the present study was to evaluate self-acceptance and satisfaction with life with people who stutter and the influence of coping and resilience on the two factors. Method Forty-seven people who stutter (PWS) and 47 people who do not stutter (PWNS) participated in an online survey. Participants completed a survey assessing 6 main areas: (a) background information, (b) satisfaction with life, (c) coping, (d) avoidance, (e) self-acceptance, and resilience. Results Avoidant coping and maladaptive coping moderated the association between stuttering and self- acceptance but not satisfaction with life. Resilience was found to moderate the association between stuttering and self-acceptance as well as satisfaction with life. Conclusion Stuttering was associated with lower self-acceptance at higher levels of avoidant coping and maladaptive coping. PWS who have lower levels of resilience were more likely to have a lower satisfaction with life indicating that higher levels of resilience could serve as a protective factor for having a greater satisfaction with life. Further, stuttering was associated with lower self-acceptance at lower levels of resilient attitude. Resilience and coping appear to protect against having diminished self-acceptance and satisfaction with life for PWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]