Reminders of a Stigmatized Status Might Help Smokers Quit.

Area of Science:

• Social Psychology
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Smokers face stigmatization and discrimination due to their group membership.
• The identity threat model of stigma explains how individuals react to negative social perceptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the emotional, cognitive, attitudinal, and behavioral consequences of stigmatization for smokers.
• To investigate whether smokers move toward or away from their group identity when faced with stigma.
• To explore the role of cultural context and smoking identity in these responses.

Main Methods:

• Experiment 1: Smokers (U.S. and Denmark) read a stigmatizing or control article.
• Experiment 2: U.S. smokers recalled experiences of smoking discrimination or a control prompt.
• Measured responses including rejection sensitivity, stress, and intentions to quit smoking.

Main Results:

• Reading stigmatizing articles increased rejection sensitivity (U.S.) and quit intentions (U.S. & Denmark) for low-identity smokers.
• Recalling discrimination led to increased stress, rejection sensitivity, and smoking cessation interest when appraised as threatening.
• Findings indicate identity threat generally prompts smokers to distance themselves from their group.

Conclusions:

• Experiencing stigma and discrimination can motivate smokers to quit, reflecting a move away from their stigmatized identity.
• Understanding these psychological processes is crucial for interventions aimed at helping smokers distance themselves from a 'spoiled' identity.