title: The effects of cigarette smoking on verbal learning and retention.
abstract: The effects of smoking a low (.7 mg) and a middle (1.3 mg) nicotine yield cigarette on paired-associate learning and retention under conditions of high and low intralist interference, and on serial learning and retention, were examined in groups of male undergraduate smokers (N = 24). The interaction between nicotine level and task difficulty in paired-associate learning was marginally significant. The 1.3-mg nicotine dose impeded learning under low interference conditions, but facilitated learning of high interference sets. Both nicotine levels significantly improved retention in paired-associate learning; task difficulty appearing to have little relevance. Serial learning data suggested that the effect is shown on long-term, rather than short-term memory.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010153:Paired-Associate Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000187:drug effects*; D012691:Serial Learning / Q000187:drug effects*; D012907:Smoking
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine