217971 Implicit and explicit attitudes predict smoking cessation: Moderating effects of perceived control and plans to quit

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Laurie Chassin , Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Clark C. Presson , Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Steven J. Sherman , Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Dong-Chul Seo, PhD , Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Jonathan T. Macy, PhD, MPH , Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Background: Tobacco control programs often include messages designed to change attitudes toward smoking to influence adults to attempt smoking cessation. In this study we tested (1) whether implicit attitudes toward smoking would prospectively predict cessation over a long time interval among a community sample of smokers and (2) whether plans to quit and perceived control over smoking would moderate the effects of implicit and explicit attitudes on prospectively predicting cessation. Methods: Participants were 453 adult smokers who were recruited to a longitudinal web-based study with two sessions, 18 months apart. Models predicted cessation at 18-month follow-up from baseline covariates (educational attainment and amount smoked per day), baseline predictors (plans to quit, perceived control over smoking, and implicit and explicit attitudes toward smoking), and interactions among the predictors. Results: The effects of attitudes on smoking cessation significantly varied with levels of perceived control over smoking and plans to quit. Explicit attitudes significantly predicted cessation among those with high (but not low or medium) levels of perceived control over smoking. Conversely, however, implicit attitudes significantly predicted cessation among those with low levels of perceived control over smoking and among those with high perceived control, but only if they did not have a plan to quit. Conclusions: Implicit and explicit attitudes were differentially important in the prediction of smoking cessation depending on participants' perceived control over smoking. Because smoking cessation involves both controlled and automatic processes, interventions may need to consider attitude change strategies that focus on both implicit and explicit attitudes.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the conditions under which implicit and explicit attitudes toward smoking predict smoking cessation.

Keywords: Smoking Cessation, Tobacco Control

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am Project Director for a large longitudinal study on smoking attitudes and behaviors.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.