The relationship between impaired decision-making, sensation seeking and readiness to change in cigarette smokers.
OBJECTIVE
The study investigated whether impaired decision-making as measured by the Gambling Task and Sensation Seeking, on one hand, and nicotine-dependence and readiness to change, on the other hand, show mutual influences in cigarette smokers.


METHODS
Cigarette smokers were classified as dependent or non-dependent smokers. Assessment included stages of change (RCQ), decisional balance (DBS), Sensation Seeking Scale Form-V (SSS-V), and performance on the Gambling Task (GT).


RESULTS
With the exception of a significant higher score in the SSS-V subscale Experience Seeking in dependent smokers, correlations between nicotine-dependence and cognitive features were not significant. The directions of the non-significant differences were not consistent. No significant relationship was found between the SSS-V and the GT, on one hand, and the readiness to change smoking behaviour, on the other hand.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of the present study suggest that impaired performance on the GT and high scores in Sensation Seeking do not play an important role in nicotine-dependence and readiness to change smoking behaviour or vice versa.
Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Research Group S:TEP, Medical University of Lübeck, and Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Karl Friedrich Fleming Hospital Schwerin, Federal Republic of Germany. hallo.heike.hl1@web.de
H
H
Harmsen
G
G
Bischof
A
A
Brooks
F
F
Hohagen
H-J
HJ
Rumpf
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012677:Sensation; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000523:psychology*