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Negative affect combines with smoking outcome expectancies to predict smoking behavior over time
Lee M Cohen1, Denis M McCarthy, Sandra A Brown
1Department of Psychology, Texas Tech University, Lubbock 79409-2051, USA.
Summary
Negative emotional states and positive expectations about smoking predict smoking behavior. These expectations partially explain why negative emotions lead to smoking over time in young adults.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Addiction Science
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Negative affective states are linked to smoking initiation and maintenance.
- Smoking outcome expectancies, beliefs about smoking's effects, are crucial in understanding addiction.
- Previous research has not fully integrated these factors to predict long-term smoking behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the combined predictive power of negative affect and smoking outcome expectancies on smoking behavior over time.
- To examine the mediating role of positive and negative reinforcement expectancies.
- To determine if positive expectancies moderate the relationship between negative affect and smoking.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal study with 121 young adults over a 4-year period.
- Data collected through 3 interviews.
- Statistical analyses examined correlations, mediation, and moderation.
Main Results:
- Dispositional negative affect and positive smoking expectancies significantly predicted smoking behavior both within and across time.
- Expectations of positive and negative reinforcement partially mediated the link between negative affect and smoking over time.
- Positive expectancies did not moderate the relationship between negative affect and smoking behavior.
Conclusions:
- Negative affect and positive smoking expectancies are key predictors of smoking behavior trajectories.
- Understanding these expectancies is vital for developing effective smoking cessation interventions.
- Multivariate models of smoking risk should incorporate smoking outcome expectancies.