A substance user-self fit perception increases identification as a user of the substance.

We tested whether greater identification as a user of a substance (i.e., perceived general associations between oneself and use of the substance, the group of people who use the substance, and/or the substance itself) results from a theorized source-perceived fit between one's own identity and one's perception of the identity of being a user of the substance. We also tested whether this effect is stronger the more the group of people who use the substance is perceived as an entity and the more the prototypical user of the substance is perceived as having a favorable identity. We conducted two correlational and two (preregistered) experimental investigations of drinker identity and marijuana user identity. In all studies, substance user identity was positively associated with substance user-self fit perception. In both correlational studies, this relationship was stronger the more the group of people who use the substance was perceived as an entity. In the drinker identity correlational study, this relationship was also stronger the more it was perceived that the prototypical drinker has a favorable identity. A substance user-self fit perception could be addressed to reduce identification as a user of the substance in efforts to prevent hazardous use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Identification with drinking predicts increases in drinking behaviors (but not vice versa).

Cross-sectional research has demonstrated that endorsing, or acknowledging, and frequently thinking about having a drinking identity are uniquely and positively associated with alcohol consumption and risk for hazardous drinking. In the current investigation, we evaluated whether these facets of drinking identity indicated a latent drinking identity variable. We also investigated whether greater identification with drinking predicted subsequent increases in alcohol consumption and risk for hazardous drinking, and whether higher levels of these drinking behavior variables predicted subsequent increases in identification with drinking. Data were collected from participants (N = 422) near their graduation from college and then again eight months later. Drinking identity endorsement and drinking identity thought frequency were positive indicators of a latent drinking identity variable. Identification with drinking was concurrently, positively associated with both alcohol consumption and risk for hazardous drinking at both time points. Greater identification with drinking at the first assessment predicted subsequent increases in alcohol consumption and risk for hazardous drinking. Surprisingly, the drinking behavior variables did not prospectively predict changes in identification with drinking. These findings support an expanded conceptualization of drinking identity, provide further evidence that greater identification with drinking prospectively predicts more drinking behaviors, and suggest that drinking identity should be considered in interventions to reduce hazardous drinking.

Preliminary impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking and vaping in college students.

We examined tobacco use changes in young adult college students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on smoking and vaping. First, we evaluated changes in tobacco use from pre to post campus closure focusing on smoking and electronic nicotine vaping frequency (days) and quantity (cigarettes/cartridges per day). Also, given the potential protective effects of pausing (temporarily or permanently discontinuing) smoking or vaping, we evaluated its predictors. We hypothesized that generalized anxiety and moving home would increase the odds of pausing. We also explored effects of COVID-related news exposure and seeking on tobacco use. We re-contacted young adults two years after they completed a study on alcohol and marijuana co-use. A subset (N = 83; 26.6% of the 312 respondents) were enrolled in college and reported use of cigarettes (n = 35) and/or e-cigarettes (n = 69) in the week prior to their campus closing (PC). Paired sample t-tests compared smoking and vaping frequency and quantity PC to past-week use since closing (SC). Multivariate logistic regression models were fit to examine predictors of pausing. Both smoking and vaping frequency decreased from PC to SC; however, decreased frequency did not correspond to reduced quantity. Twenty-four participants (28.9%) paused past-week use SC. Higher anxiety and moving home (versus living independently) were related to increased odds of pausing, whereas COVID-19 related news exposure and seeking were related to decreased odds of pausing. Characterizing COVID-19 related tobacco use change provides insights into how college students respond to novel health threats and informs potential interventions.

An investigation of the relationship between identifying as a smoker and urges to smoke among young adult combustible cigarette smokers.

Identifying as a smoker and urges to smoke are 2 predictors of persistent combustible cigarette smoking. We investigated the relationship between them. Specifically, grounded in PRIME Theory (West & Brown, 2013), we investigated whether a smoker identity and urges to smoke predict each other over time independent of their relationships with smoking behavior. At 3 yearly time points, young adult combustible cigarette smokers (N = 286) completed assessments of endorsement and importance of identifying as a smoker as well as smoking behavior; during the subsequent week at the first 2 time points, participants repeatedly completed assessments of momentary smoking urge intensity and current social situation in randomly prompted ecological momentary assessments (EMA). Within time points, greater endorsement of identifying as a smoker predicted more intense momentary urges to smoke, particularly when in the presence of other people than when alone. Across time points, both elevated and elevating levels of smoker identity endorsement predicted increases in average smoking urge intensity; vice versa, both elevated and elevating levels of average smoking urge intensity predicted increases in smoker identity endorsement and importance. All relationships were independent of smoking behavior. These findings add to our understanding of persistent combustible cigarette smoking, as they indicate that a smoker identity and urges to smoke contribute to each other independent of their relationships with smoking behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Investment in drinking identity is associated with alcohol consumption and risk of alcohol use disorder.

Problematic alcohol consumption is elevated among those who identify (i.e., associate themselves) with drinking. We extended prior research on drinking identity by considering two dimensions of investment in identity - i.e., mental resources allocated to that identity that may motivate the pursuit of identity-related goals. We considered drinking identity importance (i.e., how important one considers it to be) and drinking identity thought frequency (i.e., how frequently one thinks about it). We investigated these dimensions from two perspectives: an absolute perspective (i.e., investment in drinking identity irrespective of other identities) and a relative perspective (i.e., investment in drinking identity compared to identities associated with other life domains [education, well-being, and personal relationships]). We aimed to evaluate whether these investment dimensions were positively associated with alcohol consumption and risk of alcohol use disorder either in interaction with or in addition to endorsement of drinking identity. College students (N = 521) who were screened for exhibiting hazardous drinking completed self-report measures of alcohol consumption, risk of alcohol use disorder, and drinking identity endorsement and investment. Controlling for gender and drinking identity endorsement, absolute and relative drinking identity thought frequency were uniquely and positively associated with alcohol consumption and risk of alcohol use disorder. Neither absolute nor relative importance of identification with drinking uniquely predicted outcomes. Drinking identity investment, as signaled by absolute and relative frequency of thought related to identification with drinking, may be an additional risk factor and/or clinical target for alcohol consumption and risk of alcohol use disorder.

The role of rational and experiential processing in influencing the framing effect.

Research on individual differences and the framing effect has focused primarily on how variability in rational processing influences choice. However, we propose that measuring only rational processing presents an incomplete picture of how participants are responding to framed options, as orthogonal individual differences in experiential processing might be relevant. In two studies, we utilize the Rational Experiential Inventory, which captures individual differences in rational and experiential processing, to investigate how both processing types influence decisions. Our results show that differences in experiential processing, but not rational processing, moderated the effect of frame on choice. We suggest that future research should more closely examine the influence of experiential processing on making decisions, to gain a broader understanding of the conditions that contribute to the framing effect.

Smoker identity development among adolescents who smoke.

Adolescents who smoke are more likely to escalate their smoking frequency if they believe smoking is self-defining. Knowing factors that are associated with development of a smoker identity among adolescents who smoke may help to identify who will become a regular smoker. We investigated whether smoker identity development is associated with internal and external motives for smoking. For comparison, we also investigated whether social smoker identity development is associated with internal and external motives for smoking. Adolescents who smoke (n = 292) completed measures of smoker and social smoker identity, internal motives for smoking (negative affect coping, positive affect enhancement), and external motives for smoking (social fit) at baseline, 6-, 15-, and 24-month assessments of an ongoing longitudinal study of smoking patterns. We examined whether change in smoker and social smoker identity from 6 to 24 months was associated with change in motives at earlier assessment waves. We also explored whether gender moderated these relationships. Increases in negative affect coping motives were associated with smoker identity development among both males and females. Increases in social motives were associated with smoker identity development among males, and increases in negative affect coping motives were associated with social smoker identity development among females. Smoker and social smoker identities are signaled by negative affect coping as well as social motives for smoking. (PsycINFO Database Record

Cigar, cigarillo, and little cigar use among current cigarette-smoking adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: Cigar, cigarillo, and little cigar (CCLC) use is prevalent among adolescents, particularly among those who smoke cigarettes. METHODS: Using data from a longitudinal study of smoking patterns among adolescents, we examined differences between CCLC users (ever and past 30 days) and nonusers (never and not in the past 30 days) among adolescents who smoked a cigarette in the last month (n = 486). RESULTS: In our sample, 76.7% reported ever trying CCLC and 40.7% reported past month CCLC use. Bivariate analyses showed that CCLC users differed from nonusers in terms of demographics, other forms of tobacco use, other substance use, and mental health. Multivariate logistic regression analyses found that both ever and past 30-day CCLC use were strongly associated with being male and concurrent use of hookah. Ever CCLC use was also strongly associated with recent use of alcohol, and past 30-day CCLC use was strongly associated with antisocial behavior. After controlling for the number of days on which cigarettes were smoked in the past 30 days, past 30-day CCLC use was associated with most other forms of tobacco use, other substance use, and mental health, but not with number of cigarettes smoked in the past month and nicotine dependence. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that CCLC use is high among adolescent cigarette users and is associated with a variety of negative correlates. Importantly, many of these relationships are not accounted for by the adolescent's level of cigarette use. Further characterizing CCLC use will be important for developing more targeted and tailored interventions.

Smoker identity and smoking escalation among adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether there is a positive, unique relation between smoker identity and smoking escalation. METHODS: Adolescents from the Chicago area (n = 1263) completed paper-and-pencil questionnaires and in-person interviews at baseline, 6 months, 15 months, and 24 months of a longitudinal study. Smoking behavior, smoker identity, nicotine dependence, smoking expectancies, smoking motives, and novelty seeking were assessed. RESULTS: There was a unique relation between smoker identity and smoking escalation. The more that adolescents thought smoking was a defining aspect of who they were, the more likely their smoking escalated. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that smoker identity could be targeted for preventing escalation. Research on its development is needed.

Longitudinal associations between people's cessation-related experiences and their satisfaction with cessation.

We sought to determine whether different social, psychological, emotional, and physiological experiences associated with quitting smoking related to people's satisfaction with cessation systematically, and whether the strength of the relations changes at different points during the cessation process and for different people (e.g., optimists). Using data from smokers enrolled in a cessation program, we used mixed models to assess the average longitudinal relation between people's experiences and satisfaction measured at seven time points and whether the relations were moderated by key variables. Eight of nine experiences were related to people's satisfaction (ps < 0.05) and the models accounted for 39-44% of the within-person variance in satisfaction. Current smoking behavior was more strongly related to people's satisfaction during their early efforts to quit, whereas some experiences (e.g., feedback from others) had a stronger relation with satisfaction during people's later efforts to quit or maintain abstinence (ps < 0.05). Individual differences in optimism and prior cessation experience moderated some of the relations (ps < 0.05). The findings mark the first evidence of factors that might influence how people determine their satisfaction with smoking cessation. The implications for tailoring interventions and potentially increasing the likelihood that people maintain abstinence are discussed.

The impact of expectations and satisfaction on the initiation and maintenance of smoking cessation: an experimental test.

OBJECTIVE: Our primary objective was to test the thesis that the initiation of behavior change is dependent on favorable expectations, whereas maintaining a change in behavior is dependent on satisfaction with the outcomes afforded by behavior change. These hypotheses were tested in the context of a smoking cessation intervention. DESIGN: Adult smokers were randomized to an 8-week smoking cessation program designed to induce either optimistic or modest expectations about cessation. Participants were encouraged to quit smoking after Week 4 and were followed for 15 months after the end of the program. MAIN PROCESS AND OUTCOME MEASURES: The authors focused on participants' expectations about cessation, satisfaction with cessation, and smoking status. RESULTS: The effect of the expectation manipulation on smokers' beliefs about cessation was moderated by their prior cessation success. Those led to hold favorable expectations about cessation were more likely to initiate cessation. Although satisfaction was not affected by initial expectations, it predicted maintained cessation. CONCLUSIONS: Results highlight the challenge of altering how smokers think about cessation and the need for further research on intervention strategies that target different factors for the initiation and maintenance of cessation.

The socioecological model of procommunity action: the benefits of residential stability.

The authors conducted 3 studies to test a socioecological model of procommunity action. Study 1 showed that residents of stable communities purchased a "critical habitat" license plate to support preservation of the environment in their home state more often than did residents of mobile communities. Study 2 demonstrated that home game baseball attendance was less dependent on the team's record in stable cities than in mobile cities. Study 3, an experiment, showed that residential stability had a causal impact on procommunity behavior. Moreover, the effect of stability was partially mediated by identification with the "community." Together, these studies indicate that residential stability can lead to stronger identification with one's community, which, in turn, leads to more procommunity behaviors.

Specifying the determinants of the initiation and maintenance of behavior change: an examination of self-efficacy, satisfaction, and smoking cessation.

Using data from smokers (N = 591) who enrolled in an 8-week smoking cessation program and were then followed for 15 months, the authors tested the thesis that self-efficacy guides the decision to initiate smoking cessation but that satisfaction with the outcomes afforded by quitting guides the decision to maintain cessation. Measures of self-efficacy and satisfaction assessed at the end of the program, 2 months, and 9 months were used to predict quit status at 2, 9, and 15 months, respectively. At each point, participants were categorized as either initiators or maintainers on the basis of their pattern of cessation behavior. Across time, self-efficacy predicted future quit status for initiators, whereas satisfaction generally predicted future quit status for maintainers. Implications for models of behavior change and behavioral interventions are discussed.