Implicit attitudes towards smoking predict long-term relapse in abstinent smokers

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Addiction Science

Background:

• Implicit attitudes toward substance cues are thought to drive addictive behaviors.
• The predictive value of implicit attitude markers for long-term relapse remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between implicit attitudes towards smoking cues and long-term relapse in individuals attempting to quit smoking.

Main Methods:

• Implicit attitudes were assessed using the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and evaluative priming task (EPT).
• Smokers attempting to quit and a control group of non-smokers completed the measures before and after smoking cessation.
• Relapse was monitored via telephone survey at 6 months post-cessation.

Main Results:

• Evaluative priming task (EPT) scores before smoking cessation predicted long-term relapse.
• EPT scores also correlated with nicotine dependence and daily cigarette consumption.
• Implicit Association Test (IAT) scores did not correlate with relapse or smoking behavior.

Conclusions:

• Implicit attitudes towards smoking cues are crucial in predicting long-term relapse.
• The evaluative priming task (EPT) shows promise as a predictor of relapse, unlike the IAT in this study.