ISSN:
1360-0443
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
,
Psychology
Notes:
Aims An earlier study (Dols et al. 2000) suggested that cue-induced urge to smoke depends on the expectation of smoking. The present study tried to replicate the findings under stringently controlled conditions.Design A 2 (context) × 2 (cues) × 6 (trial) within-subject design. Each smoker entered two different contexts; one context predicted the future occurrence of smoking (i.e. one puff of a cigarette) and one context predicted the non-occurrence of smoking. In each context smokers were exposed to smoking cues (i.e. cigarettes and lighter) or not.Setting Laboratory at Maastricht University.Participants Thirty-two daily smokers, smoking at least five cigarettes a day for at least 2 years.Measurements. Participants reported their urge to smoke in each context in the presence and absence of smoking cues using a computerized visual analogue scale (VAS).Findings The results revealed that the urge to smoke was higher in a context in which smoking was expected relative to a context in which it was not expected. As in the previous study the urge-inducing effect of smoking cues was larger in the smoking context than in the non-smoking context. Moreover, smoking cues did not have a significant effect in the non-smoking context.Conclusions It was shown that smoking cues elicit craving due mainly to a generated expectation of the occurrence of smoking and less due to salience or long history of associative learning. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1360-0443.2002.00010.x
