IntroductionRecently, smartphone applications (apps) have been used as smoking cessation aids. Interactive apps appear to more effective than non-interactive apps. SmokeBeat, a smartphone app used in conjunction with a smartwatch, aims to detect smoking events, interact with the user as they occur and potentially stop smoking events before they occur in the future.AimsThe purpose of this feasibility study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of SmokeBeat in detecting smoking events.MethodsThe feasibility of using the app as a smoking cessation aid was tested over a 2-week period by daily, dependent smokers. SmokeBeat's cigarette detection rate was measured in laboratory sessions both before and after the 2-week period. Fisher's exact test was used to compare detection rates from each session.Results/FindingsThe detection rate was 22.5% during session 1 and 41.7% during session 2. Once technological issues were controlled for (i.e., signal loss between smartphone and smartwatch), SmokeBeat's detection rate improved over the 2-week period, resulting in a 100% detection rate.ConclusionsApps which can detect smoking events in real time present an opportunity for a proactive and interactive smoking cessation aid – a potentially useful tool for individuals attempting to quit smoking.

Background: Caffeine is the most commonly consumed psychoactive substance, yet its potential reinforcing properties have been understudied. Aims: This study examined the impact of caffeine administration and expectancy on coffee-related craving, withdrawal, and cue reactivity via a balanced-placebo design. Methods: Following 18-h caffeine abstinence, 65 daily coffee consumers (54% male) received either caffeine-containing (100 mg) or placebo gum, along with either accurate or inaccurate information regarding the gum’s caffeine content. Participants were exposed to neutral and coffee-related stimuli using different sensory modalities (visual and combined auditory/olfactory). Craving, withdrawal, and heart rate were assessed at baseline and after each cue presentation. Following the cue-reactivity assessments, participants were provided with an opportunity to self-administer units of coffee. Results: Caffeine expectancy was associated with reduced subjective withdrawal 30 min following the gum administration but was not significantly impacted by actual caffeine administration. The presentation of coffee-related cues was found to increase self-reported craving and heart rate, regardless of the expectation that caffeine had been administered. Visual, but not auditory/olfactory, cue reactivity appeared blunted when participants received a prior dose of caffeine. Prior caffeine ingestion also reduced the probability of subsequent coffee self-administration. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first examination of the impact of caffeine administration and expectancy on cue-elicited coffee craving and coffee consumption. Although there was some evidence that caffeine expectancy and administration were found to impact subjective withdrawal and self-administration respectively, neither was found to exert strong consistent effects on cue reactivity.

Self-critical perfectionism and anxiety sensitivity are potential vulnerability factors for increased distress following performance failure. We hypothesized that participants who fail a statistics quiz will have lower state self-esteem, lower positive affect, and greater negative affect at posttest than those who get a good grade, after controlling for pretest scores and the effect of experimental condition would become larger as self-critical perfectionism and anxiety sensitivity increase. Exploratory analyses examined rigid perfectionism and a newly introduced construct (statistics anxiety sensitivity) as moderators. We tested this vulnerability-stress model in 329 postsecondary students using a two-group, pre-post, between-subjects design. Students completed an easy or hard statistics test and were assessed on pre-and posttest state self-esteem (social and performance) and state affect (anxiety, dysphoria, hostility, and positive affect). Across outcomes, main effects of experimental condition predicted between 7% and 33% of the variance, with the largest effects for performance self-esteem. Personality by condition interactions predicted 0.1%-2% of the variance; 16 of 24 interactions were statistically significant in the expected direction (i.e., the effect of experimental condition was larger for participants high in measured personality traits). Findings suggest personality traits are vulnerability factors for decreased self-esteem and increased negative affect following failure in a statistics assessment.

BackgroundThe three most used substances—alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine—are frequently concurrently. Use of each substance has been connected to an increased probability of use of the other substances, and the problematic use of each substance has been linked to demographic factors, substance use factors, and personality. However, little is known about which risk factors are most important for consumers of all three substances. This study examined the extent to which various factors are associated with dependence on alcohol, cannabis, and/or nicotine in users of all three substances.Methods516 Canadian adults with past month use of alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine completed online surveys querying their demographics, personality, substance use history, and levels substance dependence. Hierarchical linear regressions were used to determine which factors best predicted levels of dependence on each substance.ResultsAlcohol dependence was associated with levels of cannabis and nicotine dependence, and impulsivity, with 44.9% of variance explained. Cannabis dependence was predicted by alcohol and nicotine dependence levels, impulsivity, and the age of onset of cannabis use, with 47.6% of variance explained. Nicotine dependence was best predicted by alcohol and cannabis dependence levels, impulsivity, and dual use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, with 19.9% of variance explained.ConclusionsAlcohol dependence, cannabis dependence, and impulsivity were the strongest predictors for dependence on each of the substances. A strong relationship between alcohol and cannabis dependence was evident, warranting further research.

Self-critical perfectionism and anxiety sensitivity are potential vulnerability factors for increased psychological distress following performance failure. Statistics courses are a prevalent source of distress for many students. We hypothesized that participants who fail a statistics quiz will have lower state self-esteem, lower positive affect, and greater negative affect at post-test than those who get a good grade, after controlling for pre-test scores. Moreover, we hypothesized that the effect of experimental condition would become larger as self-critical perfectionism and anxiety sensitivity increase. Exploratory analyses also examined rigid perfectionism and a newly introduced construct (statistics anxiety sensitivity) as moderators. We tested this vulnerability-stress model in 329 post-secondary students using a two-group, pre-post, between-subjects design. Students completed an easy or hard statistics test and were assessed on pre- and post-test state self-esteem (social & performance) and state affect (anxiety, dysphoria, hostility, & positive affect). Across outcomes, the main effects of experimental condition predicted between 7-33% of the variance, with the largest effects for performance self-esteem. Personality by condition interaction effects predicted between 0.1-2% of the variance; 16 of 24 interaction effects were statistically significant in the expected direction. The effect of experimental condition was larger for students high in self-critical perfectionism and both anxiety sensitivity measures when predicting self-esteem, anxiety, and dysphoria and for rigid perfectionism when predicting performance self-esteem and anxiety. Findings suggest personality traits are vulnerability factors for decreased self-esteem and increased negative affect following failure in a statistics assessment.