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Effects of alternative reinforcer and craving on the choice to smoke cigarettes in the laboratory
Author(s) -
Bisaga Adam,
Padilla Margarita,
Garawi Fatima,
Sullivan Maria A.,
Haney Margaret
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
human psychopharmacology: clinical and experimental
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.461
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1099-1077
pISSN - 0885-6222
DOI - 10.1002/hup.816
Subject(s) - craving , reinforcement , nicotine , psychology , smoke , anticipation (artificial intelligence) , smoking cessation , psychological intervention , clinical psychology , addiction , medicine , social psychology , psychiatry , chemistry , computer science , organic chemistry , pathology , artificial intelligence
We examined to what extent craving for cigarettes and the magnitude of an alternative monetary reinforcer were predictors of the choice to smoke in the human laboratory. Twelve non‐treatment‐seeking nicotine‐dependent volunteers participated in a series of outpatient sessions during which they had repeated opportunities to select between three puffs of a cigarette and a variety of monetary alternatives ($0.50–3), responding under a progressive‐ratio schedule. Level of cigarette craving was measured at baseline and between each choice opportunity. The probability of choosing a cigarette decreased significantly with the increase in the magnitude of the alternative reinforcer. Baseline level of craving did not significantly alter the probability of choosing a cigarette, but a craving component related to the anticipation of positive effects from smoking, assessed repeatedly between choice opportunities, was predictive of the choice to smoke. These results demonstrate that the cigarette puff self‐administration procedure is sensitive to environmental manipulations and cigarette puff choice can be modified by the availability of an alternative reinforcer. This paradigm models the motivational component associated with choice to smoke and could be used to evaluate the effects of pharmacological and behavioral interventions to decrease cigarette smoking. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.