Examining Outcome Expectancies and Behavioral Reinforcers Among Young Adult Smokers

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Chronic cigarette smoking habits often begin in adolescence or early adulthood. 98% of cigarette smokers try their first cigarette before the age of 26. Thus, young adult smokers represent an important target for early smoking cessation intervention. This study tests two interventions designed to increase motivation to quit and decrease smoking behavior. These interventions include: an expectancy challenge approach, which aims to increase negative beliefs about the consequences of smoking; and a behavioral economics approach, which encourages participants to substitute non-smoking behaviors that may still provide reinforcement similar to reinforcement derived from smoking a cigarette.

Official Title
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Examining Outcome Expectancies and Behavioral Reinforcers Among Young Adult Smokers

Conditions
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Smoking Cessation

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Expectancy Challenge
* Behavioral: Expectancy Challenge + Behavioral Activation
* Behavioral: Control


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: 18-35 years old English fluency Living in the United States Smoked at least 1 cigarette per week during the past month Willing to be contacted for 1-month follow up assessment Exclusion Criteria: N/A

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 35 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: Expectancy Challenge<br>The expectancy challenge intervention will involve two brief videotaped testimonials in which former smokers discuss their experiences with smoking-related health conditions. Participants will be encouraged to reflect back on the content of each video once per week leading up to the follow-up assessment. | Behavioral: Expectancy Challenge<br>* Expectancy challenge intervention (see description in study arms).<br>|
| Experimental: Expectancy Challenge + Behavioral Activation<br>In addition to the expectancy challenge intervention (see Expectancy Challenge condition), participants in the Expectancy Challenge + Behavioral Activation group will also receive a novel behavioral activation intervention. Participants will be presented with brief psychoeducation about behavioral activation, several examples of possible functions of cigarette smoking, and several suggestions of behavioral strategies. All participants will receive the same information, but they will be encouraged to apply the information to their personal circumstances and to consider additional examples of rewarding activities they may engage in over the next four weeks. Participants will also be encouraged to engage in at least one behavioral activation activity each week leading up to the follow-up assessment. | Behavioral: Expectancy Challenge + Behavioral Activation<br>* Expectancy challenge + behavioral activation interventions (see description in study arms)<br>|
| Placebo Comparator: Neutral Reading<br>The control group will receive neutral reading materials related to the components and structure of a cigarette. The content will be strictly curated so as to avoid inadvertently encouraging or discouraging smoking among participants. | Behavioral: Control<br>* Neutral reading condition (see description in study arms).<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Quit attempt | yes/no, whether or not the participant made a 24-hour (or longer) quit attempt between the date of the main experiment and the date of the 4-week follow-up assessment. | 4-week follow up | 
| Motivation to quit | Contemplation ladder score (range 0-10; higher scores indicate more motivation to quit) | 4-week follow up | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Smoking rate | past month average self-reported smoking rate | 4-week follow up | 
| Outcome expectancies | Smoking Consequences Questionnaire (S-SCQ); expected positive and negative consequences of cigarette smoking (range 0-9; higher scores indicate greater positive or negative expectancies) | 4-week follow up | 
| Behavioral reinforcers | Pleasant Events Schedule (PES); reported behaviors that are pleasurable and not associated with smoking/urge to smoke | 4-week follow up | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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smoking cessation, motivation, outcome expectancies, behavioral reinforcers