Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026
07:47
Measuring Delay Discounting in Humans Using an Adjusting Amount Task
Published on: January 9, 2016
Is delaying a quit attempt associated with less success?
John R Hughes1, Peter W Callas
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, UHC Campus, Mailstop #482, 1 South Prospect Street, Burlington, VT 05401, USA. john.hughes@uvm.edu
Summary
Delaying a quit date is linked to lower smoking cessation success. Smokers actively trying to quit should aim for an earlier quit attempt for better outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral science
- Addiction research
- Public health
Background:
- Delaying a quit date may indicate low motivation to quit smoking.
- This study analyzed a clinical trial allowing flexible quit date setting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if delaying a quit date is associated with reduced success in smoking cessation.
- To determine if a later quit date is a marker or cause of low quitting motivation.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of a clinical trial comparing abrupt vs. gradual quitting with nicotine lozenges.
- Examined the association between quit date timing and cessation success in smokers actively trying to quit.
Main Results:
- Later quit dates were associated with lower likelihood of attempting to quit and higher early lapse rates.
- Smokers quitting after their planned date were more likely to lapse.
- A nonsignificant trend suggested less 6-month abstinence for those with later quit dates.
Conclusions:
- Delaying a quit attempt prospectively predicts less success in smoking cessation.
- Further research, including randomized trials, is needed to confirm causality.
- Smoking cessation treatments should encourage prompt quit attempts.
Related Concept Videos
01:08Timing and Consequences on Behavior
In operant conditioning, the timing of reinforcement is crucial. For animals like rats and cats, immediate reinforcement (within a few seconds) is much more effective than delayed reinforcement. For example, a food reward for a rat needs to follow within 30 seconds of pressing a bar to be effective.
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...
Humans, however, can respond to delayed reinforcers. We often make decisions between immediate small rewards and delayed larger rewards. This ability to delay gratification is a significant factor...
01:20Desensitization and Tachyphylaxis
Tachyphylaxis is described as a rapid decrease in response to a drug after repeated or continuous administration of the same drug dose. It is a phenomenon where the body becomes less responsive to a particular substance or intervention over time, requiring higher doses or stronger interventions to achieve the same effect. It results from adaptive changes in the body's receptors, signaling pathways, or physiological processes that occur in response to prolonged exposure to a stimulus.
Several...
Several...
01:14Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness
Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
01:26Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques IV
Stress often leads to unhealthy habits like smoking, excessive drinking, and overeating, which offer short-term relief but ultimately increase long-term health risks. These behaviors create a cycle that temporarily lowers stress levels but can result in severe long-term health consequences. Breaking these habits is essential to reduce the risk of chronic diseases and improve overall well-being. Three primary changes that support better health include quitting smoking, reducing alcohol intake,...
01:27CNS Depressants: Alcohol and Nicotine
Ethanol, a clear colorless alcohol, has been consumed by humans for millennia, but its effects on the body are far from benign. At lower doses, it induces decreased inhibitions and loquaciousness, leading to its social appeal. However, it can cause severe consequences at higher doses, such as coma and respiratory depression, due to its zero-order elimination kinetics. Chronic ethanol abuse wreaks havoc on multiple organ systems, particularly the CNS and the liver. Abrupt cessation of ethanol...
01:38Cognitive Dissonance
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...