Sport-practice style questionnaire (EPD). Design and validation / Cuestionario de estilos en la práctica deportiva (EPD). Diseño y validación

The purpose of this research was to make a first contribution to the study of possible psychological styles in terms of the way in which athletes approach their sports practice, regardless of the specific sport they practice; allowing the identification of certain persistent and consistent tendencies in their motor and tactical behaviour. To this end, an instrument, the Sport-Practice Style Questionnaire (EPD, for its Spanish initials), was designed and validated, proceeding to determine its construct validity by means of a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and a structural equation model (SEM). The sample consisted of 645 participants, 38% male and 62% female, with a mean age of 21 years (20.6 ± 7.6 ± 7.6). The scale has shown good initial results in terms of validity and reliability, giving rise to an unpublished instrument, designed and validated in Spanish, aimed at athletes of different levels, and which allows them to identify different styles in their sporting practice. (AU)

El propósito del presente trabajo fue realizar una primera contribución al estudio de posibles estilos psicológicos en cuanto al modo en que los deportistas abordan su práctica deportiva, independientemente del deporte concreto que practiquen; permitiendo identificar ciertas tendencias, persistentes y consistentes, en su conducta motriz y táctica. Para ello, se diseñó y validó un instrumento, el cuestionario EPD de Estilos de Práctica Deportiva, procediendo a determinar su validez de constructo a través de un análisis factorial confirmatorio (CFA) y un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM). La muestra fue constituida a partir de 645 participantes, 38% hombres y 62% mujeres, con una edad media de 21 años (20,6 ± 7,6). La escala ha mostrado buenos resultados de partida en cuanto a validez y fiabilidad, dando lugar a un instrumento inédito, diseñado y validado en español, dirigido a deportistas de diferentes niveles, y que permite identificar distintos estilos en su práctica deportiva. (AU)

Differences Between Men and Women in Chronic Scratching: A Psychodermatologic Study in Lichen Simplex Chronicus / Diferencias de personalidad entre hombres y mujeres con liquen simple crónico. Implicaciones para la conducta de rascado crónico

Introduction: Chronic scratching is common to many skin disorders. Being a female and presenting a high level of psychopathology are risk factors for chronic scratching. Yet, it is unclear why. Certain personality characteristics that are more prevalent in women are also known to influence emotional states (i.e. emotional tension). Objective: The present study aims to explore whether these personality styles might help understand why gender and emotional distress are associated with scratching. Material and methods: We compared the personality patterns of 103 patients (69.9% women) diagnosed with Lichen Simplex Chronicus, against a sample of healthy individuals. Results: Significant differences were found in the personality styles of men and women with LSC. Women were more pessimistic, oriented to fulfil the needs of others, traditional, insecure, submissive, and reserved, with moderate (d= .43) to strong (d= .96) size effects ranges. Some of these differences, such as in traditionalism, dutifulness, other-orientation, and pessimism, were also observed when compared with healthy men and women, with small (d= .03) to moderate (d= .47) size effects ranges. Conclusions: These psychological factors may help explain the mechanisms underlying gender differences in chronic scratching, at least in Lichen Simplex Chronicus. The findings might open new avenues for research and treatment (AU)

Introducción: El rascado crónico es común a varias enfermedades dermatológicas. Ser mujer y presentar niveles elevados de psicopatología son factores de riesgo para el rascado crónico. Sin embargo, aún se desconoce la causa de esta relación. Ciertas características de personalidad relacionadas con el estrés son más prevalentes en mujeres. Objetivo: Explorar si los estilos de personalidad pueden explicar las diferencias entre hombres y mujeres en las variables psicológicas asociadas con el rascado crónico. Material y métodos: Comparamos los perfiles de personalidad de 103 pacientes (69,9% mujeres) diagnosticados de liquen simple crónico y una muestra de sujetos sanos. Resultados: Se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre hombres y mujeres con liquen simple crónico, siendo las mujeres más pesimistas, orientadas a los demás, tradicionales, inseguras, sumisas y reservadas en cuanto a sus emociones negativas, con rangos del tamaño del efecto entre moderados (d = 0,43) y altos (d = 0,96). También se encontraron entre la muestra de liquen simple crónico y los controles, como por ejemplo en tradicionalismo, sumisión, orientación al otro y pesimismo, con rangos del tamaño del efecto entre bajos (d = 0,03) y moderados (d = 0,47). Conclusiones: Estos hallazgos podrían ayudar a explicar los mecanismos subyacentes a las diferencias de sexo en rascado crónico, al menos en el liquen simple crónico (AU)

Differences Between Men and Women in Chronic Scratching: A Psychodermatologic Study in Lichen Simplex Chronicus.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic scratching is common to many skin disorders. Being a female and presenting a high level of psychopathology are risk factors for chronic scratching. Yet, it is unclear why. Certain personality characteristics that are more prevalent in women are also known to influence emotional states (i.e. emotional tension). OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to explore whether these personality styles might help understand why gender and emotional distress are associated with scratching. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We compared the personality patterns of 103 patients (69.9% women) diagnosed with Lichen Simplex Chronicus, against a sample of healthy individuals. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the personality styles of men and women with LSC. Women were more pessimistic, oriented to fulfil the needs of others, traditional, insecure, submissive, and reserved, with moderate (d=.43) to strong (d=.96) size effects ranges. Some of these differences, such as in traditionalism, dutifulness, other-orientation, and pessimism, were also observed when compared with healthy men and women, with small (d=.03) to moderate (d=.47) size effects ranges. CONCLUSIONS: These psychological factors may help explain the mechanisms underlying gender differences in chronic scratching, at least in Lichen Simplex Chronicus. The findings might open new avenues for research and treatment.