Smoking attitudes, intentions, and behavior among college student smokers: Positivity outweighs negativity

Abstract

Smokers’ attitudes toward smoking tend to be characterized by ambivalent feelings of positivity and negativity, thereby raising the question of whether the effect of smoking attitudes on smoking behavior is mediated by the absence of negativity and/or by the presence of positivity. In two studies, undergraduate smokers rated how positive and negative they felt about smoking and reported how much they had smoked the previous month. Study 2's participants also reported how much they intended to smoke over the next month and, at 1-month follow-up, how much they actually had smoked during the previous month. Positivity, but not negativity, toward smoking predicted past smoking behavior, concurrent intentions to smoke, and future smoking behavior. Results suggest that weakening positive reactions toward smoking may deter smoking more than strengthening negative reactions does. Potential mechanisms are discussed, as well as the prospect of increasing negativity's deterrent effect.