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Think abstractly, smoke less: a brief construal‐level intervention can promote self‐control, leading to reduced cigarette consumption among current smokers
Author(s) -
Chiou WenBin,
Wu WenHsiung,
Chang MingHsu
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1111/add.12100
Subject(s) - smoke , consumption (sociology) , intervention (counseling) , psychology , self control , environmental health , construal level theory , smoking cessation , social psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , psychiatry , geography , sociology , social science , pathology , meteorology
Abstract Aims Inadequate self‐control has been linked to behavioural and impulse‐control problems such as overeating, alcohol and drug abuse and smoking. Construal‐level theory ( CLT ) suggests that a high‐level construal (highlighting central goals associated with an event), relative to a low‐level construal (highlighting means and resources), promotes self‐control. Inspired by CLT , we examined whether smokers primed with a high‐level (versus low‐level) construal mind‐set would show reductions in smoking that might be mediated by improved self‐control. Design A single‐factor (construal level: high, low, control) between‐subjects design was employed. We used a widely employed why/how paradigm to induce high/low construal levels, whereby participants were asked to respond to questions about ‘why’ or ‘how’ they would maintain good physical health. Setting Laboratory at K aohsiung M edical U niversity, T aiwan. Participants A community sample consisting of 102 daily smokers participated in this experiment. Measurements The S troop task measuring self‐control was implemented after the construal‐level manipulation. The dependent measure was actual cigarette consumption during an ostensible survey. Findings Participants in a high‐level construal mind‐set smoked fewer cigarettes [mean = 1.3, 95% confidence interval ( CI ): 0.9, 1.7] than those in a low‐level construal mind‐set (mean = 2.6, 95% CI : 2.2, 3.0; P < 0.01). A bootstrapping analysis supported for the role of self‐control ( B = −1.14, 95% CI : −1.65, −0.74, P < 0.01) as a mechanism underlying this effect. Conclusions Smokers primed with a high‐level construal mind‐set (i.e. cognitive abstraction) may induce greater self‐control that leads to reduced cigarette consumption. Thus, reminding smokers to think abstractly about health may be an effective strategy that could help them to smoke fewer cigarettes.