title: 'I'm better off now': the role of temporal comparisons and exposure evaluations in smoking cessation.
abstract: Two new psychological concepts related to relapse in smoking cessation were tested. 'Temporal comparisons' are ex-smokers' evaluations of their present situation compared to their situation as a smoker. 'Exposure evaluations' are evaluations of situations ex-smokers encountered when they used to smoke. In a cohort study among 323 ex-smokers, both concepts significantly predicted relapse after six months. Moreover, the relationship between temporal comparisons and relapse was mediated by exposure evaluations. In addition, this relationship also depended on self-efficacy; particularly when self-efficacy was low, temporal comparisons predicted relapse. These data provide new theoretical and practical perspectives to relapse.
authors: Department of Social and Organizational Psychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, Groningen, The Netherlands. k.m.menninga@rug.nl
authors: Karin
authors: K
authors: Menninga
authors: Arie
authors: A
authors: Dijkstra
authors: Winifred A
authors: WA
authors: Gebhardt
authors: Frans
authors: F
authors: Siero
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009426:Netherlands; D020377:Self Efficacy; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires