The modification of smoking behavior: A search for effective variables (original) (raw)

A smoking withdrawal clinic procedure employing social pressure was compared to an attention placebo condition and other control conditions designed to subtract "non-active" variance due to such factors as mere contact with an experimenter and individual etfort, with and without the expectation of future help. Both Social Pressure and Placebo Ss responded to treatment with significant reduction in smoking, but did not differ. Subjects asked to quit smoking on their own, displayed significant gains only if future aid was not expected, and the behavior of subjects who were unaware of their participation in an experiment remained essentially unchanged. Data on suggestibility, internal vs. external control of reinforcement, extroversion and emotionality were collected in Experiment 3, but failed to correlate significantly (nithin treatment conditions) with success in quitting smoking.