Search

Background and Objectives As a measure of nicotine dependence among adolescent smokers, the modified Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire (mFTQ; seven items), has been successfully used in the United States (USA). Nonetheless, the validity and reliability of mFTQ at the international level is still needed. The current study is the first to test the validity and reliability of mFTQ in four countries: Thailand, Spain, the USA, and Russia. Methods In a cross-sectional survey, mFTQ, risk factors of nicotine dependence, and sociodemographic characteristics were assessed. Risk factors included age of first cigarette, frequency of alcohol use, frequency of marijuana use, and number of cigarettes smoked yesterday. Salivary cotinine was also obtained in Thailand and Spain. Results For all four countries, mFTQ exhibited a single factor structure, as supported by previous work in the USA. For all studied countries except Thailand, mFTQ presented acceptable internal reliability. Overall, risk factors of nicotine dependence have predicted mFTQ scores across countries. Frequency of alcohol use in the USA and frequency of marijuana use in Thailand and Spain were not associated with mFTQ scores. Discussion and Conclusions mFTQ is a single-factor measure of nicotine dependence that shows acceptable internal consistency and validity across countries. Further work can advance the scale and tailor it to different cultures. Scientific Significance mFTQ can be a clinically practical international measure of nicotine dependence. This study provides initial support for the utility of the mFTQ among Thai, Spanish, American, and Russian adolescents. Further research is needed to test and advance mFTQ across cultures. (Am J Addict 2017;XX:1–8)

BACKGROUND: Injunctive norms have been found to be important predictors of behaviors in many disciplines with the exception of alcohol research. This exception is likely due to a misconceptualization of injunctive norms for alcohol consumption. To address this, we outline and test a new conceptualization of injunctive norms and personal approval for alcohol consumption. Traditionally, injunctive norms have been assessed using Likert scale ratings of approval perceptions, whereas descriptive norms and individual behaviors are typically measured with behavioral estimates (i.e., number of drinks consumed per week, frequency of drinking). This makes comparisons between these constructs difficult because they are not similar conceptualizations of drinking behaviors. The present research evaluated a new representation of injunctive norms with anchors comparable to descriptive norms measures. METHODS: A study and a replication were conducted including 2,559 and 1,189 undergraduate students from 3 different universities. Participants reported on their alcohol-related consumption behaviors, personal approval of drinking, and descriptive and injunctive norms. Personal approval and injunctive norms were measured using both traditional measures and a new drink-based measure. RESULTS: Results from both studies indicated that drink-based injunctive norms were uniquely and positively associated with drinking, whereas traditionally assessed injunctive norms were negatively associated with drinking. Analyses also revealed significant unique associations between drink-based injunctive norms and personal approval when controlling for descriptive norms. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide support for a modified conceptualization of personal approval and injunctive norms related to alcohol consumption and, importantly, offer an explanation and practical solution for the small and inconsistent findings related to injunctive norms and drinking in past studies.Copyright © 2016 by the Research Society on Alcoholism. Language: en

The present research was designed to evaluate self-determination theory as a framework for integrating factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. The proposed model suggests that childhood exposure to parental violence may influence global motivational orientations which, in turn, results in greater cognitive biases (overestimating the prevalence of IPV and justification of IPV) which, in turn, contribute to an individual's decision to use abusive behavior. Participants included 124 men who had engaged in abusive behavior toward an intimate partner. Results provided reasonable support for the proposed model and stronger support for a revised model suggesting that controlled orientation, rather than autonomy orientation, appears to play a stronger role in the association between childhood exposure to parental violence and cognitive biases associated with abusive behavior. Language: en