Impulsivity and the role of smoking-related outcome expectancies among dependent college-aged cigarette smokers.
The relationship between trait-impulsivity and smoking expectancies on smoking progression in undergraduate college students was examined over a 48-hour period of smoking abstinence. Participants were forty-nine college-aged dependent cigarette smokers who completed measures designed to assess impulsivity, nicotine dependence, and smoking expectancies. Using a series of multilevel models, impulsivity by time analyses indicated significant differences in positive reinforcement expectancies, [F (2, 94)=3.19, p<.05], but not in negative reinforcement expectancies, [F (2, 94)=0.49, p=.61]. Simple slopes analyses indicated that heightened trait-impulsivity predicted greater increases in positive reinforcement outcome expectancies at 48 h of abstinence. Level of impulsivity, however, was not related to changes in negative reinforcement expectancies. Results indicate that during an abstinence period, college students higher in trait-impulsivity may be more prone to relapse due to stronger beliefs about the positive effects from smoking a cigarette. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the interaction of personality and cognitive factors when working with young adult smokers wishing to quit this health-compromising behavior.
Vanderveen
Joseph W
JW
Texas Tech University, Department of Psychology, Lubbock, TX 79409-2051, USA.
Cohen
Lee M
LM
Trotter
David R M
DR
Collins
Frank L
FL
D000293:Adolescent; D002755:Choice Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult