Adolescents' smoking outcome expectancies and acute emotional responses following smoking

Magnitude of mood change following smoking may be an important reinforcing effect in smoking escalation in adolescent smokers. This study used ecological momentary assessments (EMA) of adolescent smokers' reports of mood during smoking events to examine (a) whether global reports of negative affect (NA) expectancies were associated with in-the-moment magnitude of negative and positive mood change following smoking, (b) the possibility of a reciprocal feedback loop between global NA expectancies and acute mood change following smoking, and (c) whether this relationship generalizes to other expectancies and mood change.

Participants were 234 9(th) and 10(th) graders (54% female) who recorded at least one smoking event during 7 days of EMA data collection.

Global reports of NA expectancies were significantly associated with the in-the-moment magnitude of changes in mood following smoking. Specifically, higher NA expectancies were associated with greater decreases in negative and greater increases in positive mood. Additionally, mood change following smoking predicted changes in NA expectancies but only for adolescents who continued to smoke 6 months later. The reciprocal feedback loop between expectancies and mood change was only present in adolescent smokers who continued to smoke over time. Findings indicated that this relationship is specific to NA expectancies and negative and positive mood change.

These results highlight the importance of considering NA expectancies and mood changes following smoking in adolescent smokers. Assessing expectancies about NA relief may provide an opportunity for identifying and intervening on adolescents who may be most at risk for continuing to smoke.