Acute negative affect relief from smoking depends on the affect situation and measure but not on nicotine.
BACKGROUND
Smoking acutely relieves negative affect (NA) due to smoking abstinence but may not relieve NA from other sources, such as stressors.


METHODS
Dependent smokers (n = 104) randomly assigned to one of three smoking conditions (nicotine or denicotinized cigarettes, or no smoking) completed four negative mood induction procedures (one per session): 1) overnight smoking abstinence, 2) challenging computer task, 3) public speech preparation, and 4) watching negative mood slides. A fifth session involved a neutral mood control. The two smoking groups took four puffs on their assigned cigarette and then smoked those same cigarettes ad libitum during continued mood induction. All subjects rated their level of NA and positive affect on several measures (Mood Form, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Stress-Arousal Checklist, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-state). They also rated craving and withdrawal.


RESULTS
Negative affect relief from smoking depended on the NA source (i.e., mood induction procedure) and the affect measure. Smoking robustly relieved NA due to abstinence on all four measures but only modestly relieved NA due to the other sources and typically on only some measures. Smoking's effects on positive affect and withdrawal were similar to effects on NA, but relief of craving depended less on NA source. Smoking reinforcement only partly matched the pattern of NA relief. Few responses differed between the nicotine and denicotinized smoking groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Acute NA relief from smoking depends on the situation and the affect measure used but may not depend on nicotine intake. These results challenge the common assumption that smoking, and nicotine in particular, broadly alleviates NA.
Perkins
Kenneth A
KA
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. perkinska@upmc.edu
Karelitz
Joshua L
JL
Conklin
Cynthia A
CA
Sayette
Michael A
MA
Giedgowd
Grace E
GE
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012201:Reward; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000523:psychology
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine