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09:12
Three Laboratory Procedures for Assessing Different Manifestations of Impulsivity in Rats
Published on: March 17, 2019
Impulsivity-like traits and smoking behavior in college students
Nichea S Spillane1, Gregory T Smith, Christopher W Kahler
1Box G-S 121-4, Department of Community Health, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, USA. Nichea_Spillane@Brown.edu
Addictive Behaviors
|April 13, 2010
Summary
Impulsivity traits influence smoking behavior. Sensation seeking predicts being a smoker, while positive urgency predicts higher nicotine dependence among smokers.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Addiction Science
Background:
- Impulsivity is a complex trait with five distinct facets: positive urgency, negative urgency, sensation seeking, lack of planning, and lack of perseverance.
- These traits are only moderately correlated, suggesting unique contributions to behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between specific impulsivity traits and smoking behavior.
- To test if sensation seeking differentiates smokers from non-smokers.
- To determine if positive and negative urgency predict nicotine dependence levels in smokers.
Main Methods:
- A two-stage hypothesis was tested using a sample of smokers and non-smokers.
- Sensation seeking was assessed to differentiate current smokers from non-smokers.
- Positive and negative urgency were evaluated as predictors of nicotine dependence.
Main Results:
- Higher sensation seeking was significantly associated with an increased likelihood of being a current smoker (OR=1.51).
- Positive urgency, but not other impulsivity traits, significantly predicted higher levels of nicotine dependence.
- Positive urgency explained 29% of the variance in nicotine dependence.
Conclusions:
- Sensation seeking is a key trait differentiating smokers from non-smokers.
- Positive urgency is a significant predictor of nicotine dependence severity.
- Understanding these specific impulsivity traits offers new avenues for smoking cessation interventions.
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