The effects of individual and in-group behavioral programs on smoking, delay discounting and implicit attitudes towards smoking

• Grant number: 17/05598-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2017
• End date: June 30, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Psychology - Psychological Treatment and Prevention
• Principal Investigator: Maria de Jesus Dutra dos Reis
• Grantee: Fernanda Castanho Calixto
• Host Institution: Centro de Educação e Ciências Humanas (CECH). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Smoking is a behavioral pattern that negatively affects the smoker's health. Consequently, the effectiveness of programs to reduce smoking became the focus of scientific investigation. The goal of the present study is to investigate the effect of a behavioral analytic program, conducted individually and in-group, on the frequency of smoking, CO levels and implicit attitude towards smoking of individuals who wish to quit. The experimental design will be a multicomponent. An IRAP developed to assess implicit attitude towards smoking and a hypothetical task of money distribution will be conducted as pre-test and post-test measure. The other dependent variables will be smoking frequency and CO levels. 40 participants will be arranged in four groups. Participants in Group 1 (n=10) will individually undergo a behavioral analytic program. Participants in Group 2 (n=10) will undergo an in-group behavioral analytic program. Participants in Group 3 (n=10) will be smokers and constituents of the control condition. Participants in Group 4 (n=10) will be non-smokers. Five phases will compose the study. On Phase 1, the frequency of smoking and CO levels will be recorded. On Phase 2, functional analysis of smoking will take place. On Phase 3, participants will be instructed to gradually increase the interval between cigarettes. In Phase 4, participants will be instructed to use behavioral-analytical strategies for the reduction of smoking. Phase 5 is the return of Phase 1`s conditions. Follow up measures will be recorded three and six months after the conclusion of the study.