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Applying a behavioral economic framework to understanding adolescent smoking
Janet Audrain-McGovern1, Daniel Rodriguez, Kenneth P Tercyak
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. audrain@mail.med.upenn.edu
Summary
Adolescents who engage in fewer protective activities and more risky behaviors are more likely to progress in smoking. Individual differences in valuing rewards also influence adolescent smoking through these behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent health
- Behavioral psychology
- Substance use research
Background:
- Adolescent smoking is influenced by various factors, including available rewards, activities, and individual reward valuation.
- Understanding these influences is crucial for developing effective prevention and intervention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how substitute reinforcers (protective activities), complementary reinforcers (risk behaviors), and delay discounting (reward valuation) influence adolescent smoking progression.
- To determine the pathways through which these factors impact the likelihood of adolescents starting or continuing to smoke.
Main Methods:
- Latent growth modeling was used to analyze data from 983 adolescents.
- Substitute reinforcers included school involvement, academic performance, physical activity, and sports.
- Complementary reinforcers comprised peer smoking and substance use; delay discounting measured individual differences in reinforcer value.
Main Results:
- Substitute reinforcers were found to reduce the odds of smoking progression by nearly half (odds ratio reduction of 1.95).
- Complementary reinforcers increased the odds of smoking progression by 1.14.
- Delay discounting indirectly affected smoking progression, primarily through its influence on complementary reinforcers.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent smoking is associated with a profile of fewer protective factors and more risk-promoting factors.
- Individual differences in how adolescents value future rewards play a role in smoking behavior, mediated by the types of activities they engage in.