Impulsivity and cigarette smoking: delay discounting in current, never, and ex-smokers (original) (raw)

Discounting of delayed health gains and losses by current, never- and ex-smokers of cigarettes

Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2002

Rationale: Impulsivity is implicated in drug dependence. Recent studies show problems with alcohol and opioid dependence are associated with rapid discounting of the value of delayed outcomes. Furthermore, discounting may be particularly steep for the drug of dependence. Objectives: We determined if these findings could be extended to the behavior of cigarette smokers. In particular, we compared the discounting of hypothetical monetary outcomes by current, never, and ex-smokers of cigarettes. We also examined discounting of delayed hypothetical cigarettes by current smokers. Methods: Current cigarette smokers (n=23), never-smokers (n=22) and ex-smokers (n=21) indicated preference for immediate versus delayed money in a titration procedure that determined indifference points at various delays. The titration procedure was repeated with cigarettes for smokers. The degree to which the delayed outcomes were discounted was estimated with two non-linear decay models: an exponential model and a hyperbolic model. Results: Current smokers discounted the value of delayed money more than did the comparison groups. Never-and ex-smokers did not differ in their discounting of money. For current smokers, delayed cigarettes lost subjective value more rapidly than delayed money. The hyperbolic equation provided better fits to the data than did the exponential equation for 74 out of 89 comparisons. Conclusions: Cigarette smoking, like other forms of drug dependence, is characterized by rapid loss of subjective value for delayed outcomes, particularly for the drug of dependence. Never-and ex-smokers could discount similarly because cigarette smoking is associated with a reversible increase in discounting or due to selection bias.

Delay discounting in current, ex, and non- smokers: Interactions with gender

Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2015

Impulsivity and cigarette smoking: discounting of monetary and consumable outcomes in current and non-smokers

Psychopharmacology, 2014

Rationale In delay discounting, temporally remote rewards have less value. Cigarette smoking is associated with steeper discounting of delayed money. The generality of this to nonmonetary outcomes, however, is unknown. Objectives We sought to determine whether cigarette smokers also show steep discounting of other delayed outcomes. Methods Sixty-five participants (32 smokers and 33 nonsmokers) completed four delay-discounting tasks, each involving different hypothetical outcomes. In the monetary task, participants indicated their preference for a smaller amount of money available immediately (titrated across trials) and 100awardedatdelaysrangingfrom1weekto25years(testedinblocks).Inthethreeotherdiscountingtasksthelarger−laterrewardwas100 awarded at delays ranging from 1 week to 25 years (tested in blocks). In the three other discounting tasks the larger-later reward was 100awardedatdelaysrangingfrom1weekto25years(testedinblocks).Inthethreeotherdiscountingtasksthelarger−laterrewardwas100 worth of a favorite food, alcoholic drink, or a favorite form of entertainment. All other aspects of these discounting tasks were identical to the monetary discounting task. Results As previously shown, smokers discounted delayed money more steeply than non-smokers did. In addition, smokers discounted delayed food and entertainment rewards more steeply than did nonsmokers. A person's discounting of one outcome was correlated with discounting of other outcomes. Non-smokers discounted money less steeply than all other outcomes; smokers discounted money significantly less than food.

Delay Discounting in Current and Never-Before Cigarette Smokers: Similarities and Differences Across Commodity, Sign, and Magnitude

Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 2003

Research has found that nicotine-dependent individuals delay discount monetary gains at a higher rate than matched controls. Delay discount rates, however, have also been found to vary across within-subject variables such as the magnitude of the outcome (e.g., 10or10 or 10or1,000), whether the outcome constitutes a gain or a loss, and the commodity being evaluated (e.g., money or health). The present study comprehensively investigated the differences in delay discounting between current and never-before cigarette smokers and across these within-subject variables. Both groups exhibited a magnitude, sign, and commodity effect. Current smokers' delay discount rates for monetary outcomes, however, were higher than never-before smokers across all magnitudes and both signs. This trend was also found for delayed health outcomes, but failed to reach significance.

Cigarette smokers show steeper discounting of both food and cigarettes than money

Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2007

People with drug addiction show steeper discounting of drugs of abuse than money. One suggestion is that this effect is related to withdrawal processes in drug dependence. We investigated whether it could be related to the fact that drugs are directly consumable, whereas money is not. We determined whether regular cigarette smokers discount food (another consumable outcome) less steeply than cigarettes, both of which were predicted to be discounted more steeply than money. Cigarette smokers (N = 20) indicated preferences for immediate and delayed outcomes in a titration procedure that determined indifference points at various delays. In three separate conditions, the choices involved food, cigarettes, or money. The value of the delayed option was always US$ 10 or US$ 10 worth of the outcome. Cigarette smokers discounted both cigarettes and food more steeply than money. Most importantly, cigarettes and food were discounted to a similar degree. Cigarettes may be steeply discounted in part due to their consumable nature, rather than solely due to withdrawal-related processes.

Cigarette smokers discount past and future rewards symmetrically and more than controls: Is discounting a measure of impulsivity

Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2008

A considerable body of evidence indicates that consideration of the future and past are related. Future discounting studies indicate that cigarette smokers discount future outcomes more than nonsmokers. The purpose of the present study was to determine if a similar profile of results could be obtained with a novel procedure evaluating the discounting of past outcomes, providing further support for future/past symmetry. Thirty cigarette smokers and twenty-nine nonsmokers participated in a computerized assessment of discounting of hypothetical future and past outcomes. Symmetry was supported, with a similar profile of results in future and past discounting procedures. These included: hyperbolic discounting, greater discounting of small-magnitude outcomes than large-magnitude outcomes, and greater discounting by cigarette smokers relative to nonsmokers.

Comparison of delay discounting of different outcomes in cigarette smokers, smokeless tobacco users, e‐cigarette users, and non‐tobacco users

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior

Delay discounting is the process by which a commodity loses value as the delay to its receipt increases. Rapid discounting predicts various maladaptive behaviors including tobacco use. Typically, delay discounting of different outcomes has been compared between cigarette smokers and nonsmokers. To better understand the relationship of delay discounting to different modes of tobacco use, we examined the differences in delay discounting of different outcomes between cigarette smokers, smokeless tobacco users, e-cigarette users, and non-tobacco users. In the present study, all participants completed 8 titrating delay-discounting tasks: 100gain,100 gain, 100gain,500 gain, $500 loss, alcohol, entertainment, food, a temporary health gain, and a temporary cure from a disease. Non-tobacco users discounted most outcomes less than tobacco users overall; however, there were no differences in discounting among the different types of tobacco users. These results suggest that nicotine consumption of any kind is associated with a higher degree of impulsivity compared to non-tobacco users. Adoption of tobacco products that have been perceived as less harmful (e.g., e-cigarettes) is not associated with a baseline difference or decrease in delay discounting if adopted after a history of cigarette use.

A comparison of delay discounting among smokers, substance abusers, and non-dependent controls

Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2010

Previous studies have shown that smokers and substance-dependent individuals discount rewards that are available after a delay more than individuals without a history of substance dependence. However, it is not clear whether delay discounting is similar among smokers and substancedependent individuals. Further, the influence of the combination of smoking and other substance dependence on delay discounting remains unknown. The present study compared the performance of four groups of individuals on a delay discounting task. The groups were (a) heavy smokers with comorbid substance dependence, (b) heavy smokers with no history of substance dependence, (c) never smokers withcomorbid substance dependence, and (d) never smokers with no history of substance dependence. Analysis revealed that individuals who smoked and/or were dependent on another substance discounted delayed rewards more than individuals with no history of smoking or other substance dependence. No differences in the task performance of heavy smokers and substance-dependent individuals were found. Notably, participants who were dependent on multiple substances did not discount delayed rewards more than those dependent on only one substance. Overall, findings indicate that smoking and other substance dependence are similarly related to delay discounting.

Moderate Drug Use and Delay Discounting: A Comparison of Heavy, Light, and Never Smokers

Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2007

Delay discounting was examined in light smokers (10 or fewer cigarettes per day) and compared with previously published delay discounting data for heavy and never smokers. Participants evaluated several hypothetical outcomes: money gains and loses ($10, 100,and100, and 100,and1,000), health gains and losses (durations of improved and impoverished health subjectively equivalent to 1,000),cigarettegainsandlosses(amountssubjectivelyequivalentto1,000), cigarette gains and losses (amounts subjectively equivalent to 1,000),cigarettegainsandlosses(amountssubjectivelyequivalentto1,000), and potentially real rewards ($10 and $100). Light smokers discounted money significantly more than never smokers, but light smokers did not differ from heavy smokers. The 3 groups did not statistically differ in discounting of health consequences. Similarly, the 2 smoking groups were not found to differ in discounting of cigarettes. Like heavy smokers, light smokers discounted cigarettes significantly more than money and health. Several significant, positive correlations were found between smoking rate and various discounting measures in the heavy smokers but not in the light smokers. Several previous findings were replicated, helping to validate the present results: the sign effect (greater discounting of gains than losses), the magnitude effect (greater discounting of smaller rewards), reliability of discounting measures over time, and the consistency of hypothetical and potentially real rewards. These data suggest that even moderate levels of drug use may be associated with high delay discounting levels.

Differences in Delay, but not Probability Discounting, in Current Smokers, E-cigarette Users, and Never Smokers

Steeper delay discounting in substance abuse populations , compared to non-abusing populations, has been well-established in prior studies. Despite the growing interest in e-cigarettes as a novel and relatively understudied form of nicotine consumption, relatively little is known as to how e-cigarette users discount rewards compared to traditional cigarette smokers and never smokers. In the present study, we measured delay and probability discounting rates, as well as perceived risk inherent to a delayed reward, in current traditional cigarette smokers, e-cigarette users, and never smokers. We found that traditional cigarette smokers and e-cigarette users discounted delayed rewards at a similar rate—and both were steeper than never smokers. However, no differences were observed in probability discounting or in perceived risk inherent in reward delay.

Impulsivity and cigarette smoking: delay discounting in current, never, and ex-smokers (original) (raw)

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