TY - JOUR
T1 - Measures of impulsivity in cigarette smokers and non-smokers
AU - Mitchell, Suzanne H.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgements This study was supported by NHLBI 058225. These data were presented at the annual meeting of the College on Problems of Drug Dependence, Scottsdale, Ariz., USA, June 1998. The author thanks Missy Bedell, Sarah Gagnon, Jason Krienke and Jeremy Rhodes who assisted with data collection, entry and analysis. The author also thanks Harriet de Wit, Jerry B. Richards and the anonymous reviewers for their comments on an earlier version of this manuscript.
PY - 1999
Y1 - 1999
N2 - Rationale: Drug users are thought to be more 'impulsive' than non-users. Objectives: This study examined whether regular smokers are more impulsive than never smokers using personality and behavioral measures of impulsivity. Methods: Twenty regular smokers (≥15 cigarettes/day) and 20 never smokers were recruited. Participants completed five personality questionnaires to assess impulsivity: Adjective Checklist, Barratt's Impulsivity Scale, the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire, and the Sensation-Seeking Scale. Participants also performed three behavioral choice tasks designed to assess impulsivity. In the delay task, participants chose between small, immediate and large, delayed monetary rewards. Impulsivity was defined as a relative preference for the small, immediate alternative. In the probability task, participants chose between small, certain and large, uncertain monetary rewards. Impulsivity was defined as a relative preference for the large but more risky alternative. In the work task, participants chose between small monetary rewards obtained by performing a negligible amount of work and a larger amount of money requiring more work. Impulsivity was defined as a relative preference for the smaller, easier alternative. Results: On the personality questionnaires, smokers had statistically higher impulsivity scores on most scales. On the behavioral choice tasks, smokers chose small, immediate money over large, delayed money more frequently, signifying greater levels of impulsivity. There were no differences between the groups' choices on the other tasks. Correlations between questionnaire and task data were small, as were correlations between data from each task. Conclusions: Together, these results indicate that the smokers were more impulsive than never smokers.
AB - Rationale: Drug users are thought to be more 'impulsive' than non-users. Objectives: This study examined whether regular smokers are more impulsive than never smokers using personality and behavioral measures of impulsivity. Methods: Twenty regular smokers (≥15 cigarettes/day) and 20 never smokers were recruited. Participants completed five personality questionnaires to assess impulsivity: Adjective Checklist, Barratt's Impulsivity Scale, the Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire, Eysenck's Personality Questionnaire, and the Sensation-Seeking Scale. Participants also performed three behavioral choice tasks designed to assess impulsivity. In the delay task, participants chose between small, immediate and large, delayed monetary rewards. Impulsivity was defined as a relative preference for the small, immediate alternative. In the probability task, participants chose between small, certain and large, uncertain monetary rewards. Impulsivity was defined as a relative preference for the large but more risky alternative. In the work task, participants chose between small monetary rewards obtained by performing a negligible amount of work and a larger amount of money requiring more work. Impulsivity was defined as a relative preference for the smaller, easier alternative. Results: On the personality questionnaires, smokers had statistically higher impulsivity scores on most scales. On the behavioral choice tasks, smokers chose small, immediate money over large, delayed money more frequently, signifying greater levels of impulsivity. There were no differences between the groups' choices on the other tasks. Correlations between questionnaire and task data were small, as were correlations between data from each task. Conclusions: Together, these results indicate that the smokers were more impulsive than never smokers.
KW - Choice tasks
KW - Impulsivity/self-control
KW - Non-smoker
KW - Personality
KW - Smoker
KW - Substance abuse
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0032743153&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0032743153&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/PL00005491
DO - 10.1007/PL00005491
M3 - Article
C2 - 10550496
AN - SCOPUS:0032743153
SN - 0033-3158
VL - 146
SP - 455
EP - 464
JO - Psychopharmacology
JF - Psychopharmacology
IS - 4
ER -