Automatic approach bias towards smoking cues is present in smokers but not in ex-smokers
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ORIGINAL INVESTIGATION
Automatic approach bias towards smoking cues is present in smokers but not in ex-smokers Corinde E. Wiers & Simone Kühn & Amir Homayoun Javadi & Ozlem Korucuoglu & Reinout W. Wiers & Henrik Walter & Jürgen Gallinat & Felix Bermpohl
Received: 6 November 2012 / Accepted: 27 March 2013 / Published online: 19 April 2013 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Abstract Rationale Drug-addicted individuals show automatic approach tendencies towards drug-related cues, i.e., an approach bias (ApB). Nevertheless, little is known about ApB in tobacco smokers and about the presence of ApB after smoking abstinence. Objectives We investigated ApB to smoking cues in heavy tobacco smokers versus never-smokers and studied its relation to smoking characteristics and craving. Second, we compared ApBs of heavy smokers with biases of abstinent heavy smokers. Method A group of current heavy smokers (n=24), exsmokers who were abstinent for at least 5 years (n=20), and never-smokers (n=20) took part in the experiment. An indirect smoking approach avoidance task was performed,
in which participants were required to respond to pictures of smoking and neutral cues by pulling (approach) or pushing (avoid) on a joystick, according to the content-irrelevant format of the picture (landscape or portrait). Craving scores were examined using the Questionnaire of Smoking Urges. Results Heavy smokers showed an ApB for smoking cues compared to ex-smokers and never-smokers, which correlated positively to craving scores. There were no group differences in ApB scores for ex-smokers and never-smokers. Conclusion These results suggest that ApBs for smoking cues are present in heavy smokers and decrease after longterm successful smoking cessation.
C. E. Wiers : H. Walter : J. Gallinat : F. Bermpohl Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Abbreviations ApB Approach bias AAT Approach avoidance task QSU Questionnaire of smoking urges
C. E. Wiers (*) : H. Walter : F. Bermpohl Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, 10099 Berlin, Germany e-mail: [email protected] S. Kühn Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Center for Lifespan Psychology, Berlin, Germany A. H. Javadi Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive, Perceptual and Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK O. Korucuoglu : R. W. Wiers Addiction, Development and Psychopathology (ADAPT) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Keywords Addiction . Smoking . Smoking cessation . Implicit cognition . Approach bias . Approach avoidance task
Introduction A paradox in addictive behaviors is the continuation of drug use despite known long-term negative outcomes (Stacy and Wiers 2010). Most cigarette smokers strongly desire to quit, but few succeed, with 80 % of smokers relapsing within 1 year after their supposedly last cigarette (Hughes et al. 2008). Why some people are able to quit smoking succe
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