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Related Experiment Videos

Shaping smoking cessation using percentile schedules.

R J Lamb1, Andrew R Morral, Kimberly C Kirby

  • 1Department of Psychiatry-MC 7792, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA. lamb@uthscsa.edu

Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|November 25, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Percentile schedules effectively shape smoking abstinence by rewarding closer-to-target behaviors. This method is particularly valuable for hard-to-treat individuals needing gradual reinforcement to achieve reduced breath carbon monoxide levels.

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Area of Science:

  • Behavioral science
  • Addiction treatment
  • Smoking cessation research

Background:

  • Incentive-based behavioral interventions are effective for addiction treatment.
  • Standard treatments often fail for individuals with significant behavioral discrepancies from treatment goals.
  • Shaping strategies may be necessary for hard-to-treat populations in addiction recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of percentile schedules in shaping smoking abstinence.
  • To determine if percentile schedules can improve treatment outcomes for hard-to-treat smokers.
  • To assess the impact of different percentile thresholds on achieving target breath carbon monoxide levels.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized percentile schedules to reinforce breath carbon monoxide (BCO) levels indicative of smoking abstinence (<4 ppm).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Assigned 102 participants to conditions reinforcing BCO at the 10th, 30th, 50th, or 70th percentile of recent measurements.
  • Monitored participant engagement with contingencies and BCO levels throughout the study.

    • Main Results:

    • All percentile conditions facilitated participant contact with reinforcement contingencies.
    • The 30th, 50th, and 70th percentile groups achieved BCO <4 ppm in over 90% of participants.
    • The 10th percentile group achieved BCO <4 ppm in 63% of participants.
    • Higher percentile schedules (30th, 50th, 70th) demonstrated particular effectiveness in hard-to-treat subgroups.

    Conclusions:

    • Percentile schedules are effective in shaping smoking abstinence, with higher percentiles yielding better results.
    • This shaping approach is especially beneficial for individuals struggling to meet abstinence criteria.
    • The findings support the use of percentile schedules as a valuable tool in addiction treatment for difficult-to-treat populations.