Nonprogressing profiles in smoking cessation: what keeps people refractory to self-change?
A 2-year cross-sequential analysis of informal self-change efforts at smoking cessation evaluated the use of coping operations and the mediation of cognitive judgments among four composite profiles. Subjects (N = 544) were grouped by stage of readiness to change (contemplation, action, relapse, and maintenance) and assessed every 6 months on 10 change processes, self-efficacy, and the decisional balance between the "pros" and "cons" of smoking. Two change status profiles, contemplation to maintenance, and relapse to maintenance, were selected as exemplars of optimal linear progress; two others, chronic contemplation and chronic relapse, illustrated nonprogressing patterns in which subjects remained stuck in the same stage for 2 years. Multivariate and univariate ANOVA results indicated that nonprogressing smokers overutilize certain experiential change processes rather than underutilizing behavioral strategies, as was predicted. Implications of these results for specialized self-help interventions are discussed in the context of a comprehensive model of change for the addictive behaviors.
Fitzgerald
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University of Rhode Island, Kingston 02881-0808.
Prochaska
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D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000523:psychology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012649:Self Concept; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*