Nicotine reduces the frequency of anger reports in smokers and nonsmokers with high but not low hostility: an ambulatory study.
Two studies were conducted to determine the anger-attenuating effects of nicotine as a function of trait hostility. The 1st study examined the effects of nicotine on diary ratings of anger during a 24-hr period in a natural setting in 30 smokers and 30 nonsmokers. Participants took part in 2 monitoring sessions involving the administration of a nicotine patch and a placebo patch. Participants were categorized as high or low on trait hostility on the basis of their scores on the Cook-Medley Hostility scale. Administration of the nicotine patch, compared with the placebo patch, resulted in a significant reduction in diary reports of anger from 24% to 13% in high-hostile participants. In low-hostile participants, nicotine had no effect on reports of anger during the day. The anger-palliative effects of nicotine were greatest among participants more frequently reporting anger on the placebo-patch day. These effects were independent of smoking status and gender. The 2nd study, which was restricted to high-hostile smokers (n = 19) and nonsmokers (n = 23), found that, compared with a placebo patch, administration of nicotine resulted in significant reductions in reports of anger in smokers and nonsmokers. The results of these 2 studies clearly link nicotine to reduced reports of anger in high-hostile individuals.
Jamner
L D
LD
Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine 92697-7085, USA. ljamner@uci.edu
Shapiro
D
D
Jarvik
M E
ME
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D000786:Anger / Q000187:drug effects*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D006791:Hostility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010556:Personality Tests; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine