Dual process theory and smoking: Evidence for independent System 1-2 pathways in predicting smoking frequency

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Addiction Science
• Psychological Measurement

Background:

• Existing measures of smoking frequency often fail to capture automatic, cue-based behaviors.
• Understanding the distinction between automatic (System 1) and deliberative (System 2) processes is crucial for addiction research.
• There is a need for reliable outcome measures for System 1 smoking frequency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel method for measuring System 1 smoking frequency.
• To compare the novel System 1 measure with traditional System 2 measures of smoking frequency.
• To investigate the relationship between smoking attitudes (System 1 and System 2) and corresponding smoking frequencies.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel System 1 smoking frequency measure based on observed cigarettes carried and consumption between sessions.
• Utilized a self-reported 24-hour smoking frequency as the System 2 measure.
• Recruited 116 participants assessed across two sessions 48 hours apart.

Main Results:

• The System 2 measure underestimated System 1 smoking frequency by 47.4%.
• System 1 smoking attitudes significantly predicted only the novel System 1 smoking frequency.
• System 2 smoking attitudes significantly predicted only the System 2 smoking frequency.

Conclusions:

• The novel measure effectively captures System 1 smoking frequency, revealing significant underestimation by traditional methods.
• Interventions targeting explicit attitudes (System 2) may have limited efficacy in altering automatic (System 1) smoking behaviors.
• Future interventions should consider addressing both System 1 and System 2 aspects of smoking behavior.