Partner support and relapse in smoking-cessation programs.

46 Ss (mean age 37.4 yrs) in a smoking cessation program who were either married or living with a partner completed a questionnaire developed by the authors that assessed the frequency and perceived helpfulness of spouse interactions related to smoking cessation. An "experience helpfulness" (EH) score was calculated from the frequency and perceived helpfulness ratings of the events. Ss who were successful abstainers at 1-, 3-, and 6-mo posttreatment had significantly higher EH scores than either Ss who never quit or who quit and relapsed. A cluster analysis revealed that partners of successful abstainers were more reinforcing and less punishing of Ss' efforts than were the partners of Ss who had relapsed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social support and smoking cessation and maintenance.

Examined the role of social support in smoking cessation and maintenance in 2 longitudinal, prospective studies with 64 Ss each (mean ages 38.4 yrs and 38.8 yrs). Three kinds of support factors were assessed: support from a partner directly related to quitting, perceptions of the availability of general (i.e., nonsmoking) support resources, and the presence of smokers in Ss' social networks. Ss were smokers in cessation programs. Corroborated smoking status was obtained through 12 mo posttreatment. There was evidence for all 3 support factors, but they operated at different points in the process of cessation and maintenance. High levels of partner support and of the perceived availability of general support were associated with cessation and with short-term (to 3 mo posttreatment) maintenance of abstinence. The presence of smokers in Ss' social networks was a hindrance to maintenance and significantly differentiated between relapsers and long-term (12-mo) abstainers. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Longitudinal analysis of abstinence-specific social support and smoking cessation.

Objectives: (1) To replicate previous research finding that abstinence-specific social support during the active phase of quitting predicts short- and long-term smoking cessation treatment outcome. (2) To describe time-related changes in abstinence-specific support, including how support provided during middle and later phases of the quitting process is associated with treatment outcome. Design: Combined data from three randomized clinical trials of smoking cessation treatment (N = 739) were analyzed using logistic regression and analysis of variance. Main Outcome Measures: Measures included the Partner Interaction Questionnaire (PIQ; Cohen & Lichtenstein, 1990), a measure of smoking-related social support, and smoking status according to 7-day point-prevalence abstinence. Results: Longitudinal analyses found that positive support peaked at week 12, decreasing thereafter. Positive support provided after week 12 did not differentiate between those who never quit smoking, those who quit and relapsed, and those who maintained abstinence. In contrast, negative support was monotonic and was useful at follow-up points for distinguishing between outcome groups. Conclusion: These results suggest that positive and negative support are both important factors in the early phase of quitting, but it is the continued minimization of negative support that best predicts maintenance of nonsmoking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Partner behaviors that support quitting smoking.

One month after their quit date, 221 Ss completed a shortened Partner Interaction Questionnaire (PIQ [R. Mermelstein et al; see PA, Vol 70:6477]) in which they reported the frequency of 10 positive and 10 negative behaviors performed by a spouse or romantic partner in response to their quitting attempt. A subset, using the same instrument, reported expectations of support prior to quitting. The ratio of received positive/negative behaviors was a consistently better predictor of abstinence than were the frequencies of either positive or negative behavior alone, with higher ratios associated with abstinence. In addition, partners were less interactive than expected but performed more positive behaviors than expected. The overall pattern of results suggests that the context of a relationship mediates the impact of specific supportive or nonsupportive behaviors. Psychometrics for the 20-item PIQ are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy and smoking reexamined: Construct validity and clinical utility.

131 clients (mean age 39 yrs) in a smoking cessation program rated their confidence (self-efficacy) in their ability to resist smoking at the end of treatment and throughout a 6-mo follow-up period. Consistent with previous findings, posttreatment scores significantly predicted subsequent smoking status. When concurrent smoking was partialed out, efficacy remained predictive but to a much lesser degree. The partial correlations also indicated that when pitted against concurrent smoking, confidence scores retain some unique predictive power but do not operate as a powerful mediator of the effects of concurrent behavior. Factor analysis of posttreatment scores revealed that efficacy ratings are primarily unidimensional and not situation specific. Efficacy ratings made 2 mo after treatment were quite predictive of future relapse. These analyses suggest that efficacy ratings, although generally not a mediating variable, can be useful predictors of relapse, particularly when assessed during the maintenance phase of treatment. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Do desirability ratings moderate the validity of probability ratings on the Smoking Consequences Questionnaire.

Smokers' responses to the Smoking Consequences Questionnaire--Adult (A. L. Copeland, T. H. Brandon, and E. P. Quinn, 1995) were used to determine whether smoking outcome expectancies are moderated by subjective evaluations (desirability ratings) in their effect on smoking-related variables. Hierarchical regression in a reanalysis of data from A. L. Copeland et al indicated that the product of probability and desirability ratings accounted for a significant amount of variance in smoking rate, nicotine dependence, saliva cotinine, and posttreatment smoking status above that accounted for by probability and desirability ratings alone. Results indicate that desirability ratings serve as moderators to probability ratings in explaining current smoking, nicotine dependence, and continued smoking. Effects were modest in magnitude but suggest that it may be important to address subjective evaluations of outcomes in smoking cessation and relapse prevention efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

In smoke's way: Socioemotional reactions to another's smoking.

Assessed the immediate impact of second-hand cigarette smoke on interpersonal attraction and personal feelings. 75 US Army and Air Force enlisted men who were either nonsmokers or smokers and who either refrained or indulged during the session interacted with a stranger who either did not smoke, smoked courteously, or smoked discourteously. Following the encounter, Ss rated the other person on several evaluative dimensions and also rated their own affective state. Nonsmoking Ss made more favorable evaluations and reported a more pleasant affective experience after interacting with a nonsmoking stranger as compared to either a courteous or a discourteous smoker. Smoking Ss who refrained made their most positive ratings in the presence of a courteous smoking other and their most negative ratings in the company of a discourteous one. In contrast to both nonsmokers and smokers who refrained, smokers who indulged during the session made the most favorable ratings when exposed to an indiscriminant smoking stranger. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The stages and processes of exercise adoption and maintenance in a worksite sample.

Applied the model of the stages and processes (SPs) of change to exercise adoption and maintenance. Questionnaires dealing with the SPs of exercise change were developed and administered to 1,172 employees in a worksite health promotion project. Ss were split randomly into halves for (1) initial model development and testing and (2) confirmatory measurement model testing. Additional model confirmation was obtained by examining the hierarchical structure of the processes of change and by conducting stage and process analyses. Results suggest that the underlying constructs derived from smoking cessation and other addictive behaviors can be generalized to exercise behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact of couple patterns of problem solving on distress and nondistress in dating relationships.

Tested a theory of couple patterns of problem solving that involves the voice/loyalty/neglect typology of problem-solving responses advanced by the 1st author and I. M. Zembrodt (1983). 68 undergraduate dating couples were administered a questionnaire that included a measure of self-reported responses and perceptions of partner's responses, a liking and loving instrument, and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Destructive problem-solving responses (exit and neglect) were more powerfully predictive of couple distress/nondistress than were constructive problem-solving behaviors (voice and loyalty). Tendencies to react with voice to mild relationship problems were also significantly predictive of couple functioning. Partner perceptions of one another's problem-solving styles were related to couple distress/nondistress: Distress was greater to the extent that Ss perceived that their partners exhibited greater tendencies to engage in exit and neglect while showing lower levels of voice and (perhaps) loyalty. Certain interdependent patterns of partner problem solving were effectively predictive of couple health: Couple distress was greater to the degree that Ss reacted destructively and failed to respond constructively when their partners engaged in destructive problem-solving responses. Thus it is the way in which partners react in response to destructive behaviors from their partners that is best predictive of relationship health. (41 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Partner smoking status and pregnant smoker's perceptions of support for and likelihood of smoking cessation.

Perceptions of support for cessation of smoking during pregnancy, likelihood of quitting, and partner smoking status were explored in a sample of 688 pregnant smokers (372 baseline smokers and 316 baseline quitters). Women with nonsmoking partners were significantly more likely to be baseline quitters than women with partners who smoked. Baseline quitters reported significantly more positive support from their partners than did continuing smokers (p?=?.02). Neither partner smoking status nor partner support at baseline was associated with cessation or relapse later in pregnancy. Women reported greater support, both positive and negative, from nonsmoking partners than from partners who smoked (p?=?.001). Among partner smokers, those who were trying to quit were perceived to be particularly supportive. Cessation interventions for expectant fathers may increase pregnant women's success at quitting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Kaiser-Permanente Smoking Control Program: Its purpose and implications for an HMO.

Investigated the effects of posttreatment maintenance on the cessation of smoking within 4 behavioral treatment modalities. 72 Ss (mean age 50 yrs) were randomly assigned to either aversive conditioning (rapid smoking), covert conditioning, behavioral group therapy, or a combined treatment group. Treatment involved 5 consecutive treatment sessions and 14 maintenance sessions over a 12-mo period. Results show that after 6 mo of treatment, the combined condition yielded 77% complete abstinence; the covert condition, 67%; the aversive condition, 57%; and the group therapy condition, 15%. 12 mo following treatment, the combined condition yielded 77% complete abstinence, the covert condition, 56%; the aversive condition, 36%; and the group therapy, 15%. It is concluded that psychologists, because of their particular training and skills, can make important innovative contributions to the prevention of illness in health maintenance organizations. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A fine-grained analysis of the role of self-efficacy in self-initiated attempts to quit smoking.

The relation between self-efficacy ratings and smoking behavior was explored among 36 people who were trying to quit smoking on their own. Ss self-monitored high-risk situations, coping efforts to withstand the temptation to smoke, and self-efficacy in coping with similar temptations for 4 weeks after quitting. Self-efficacy ratings were significantly related to the outcome of these situations, with Ss reporting higher efficacy ratings after situations in which they did not smoke as opposed to those in which they did smoke. Self-efficacy was predictive of smoking outcome, but there was considerable intersubject variability in the strength of the relation between efficacy and smoking behavior. Both efficacy and previous smoking behavior predicted smoking outcome equally well, however. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological androgyny and sex role flexibility: A test of two hypotheses.

In a conceptual replication and extension of a study by S. L. Bem and E. Lenney (1976), 90 male and 118 female college students rated their comfort in and preference for performing several series of masculine, feminine, and neutral activities. Correlations between ratings and scores on the masculinity (instrumentality) and femininity (expressiveness) scales of the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) of J. T. Spence and R. L. Helmreich (1978) tended to be theoretically reasonable in sign but in each sex were low in magnitude and only occasionally significant. Classification of Ss into 4 PAQ groups (androgynous, masculine, feminine, and undifferentiated) on their joint masculinity and femininity scores revealed that androgynous and masculine Ss of both sexes had higher comfort ratings, independent of type of task, than did feminine and undifferentiated Ss, suggesting the importance of instrumentality and expressiveness per se. For forced-choice preference ratings, significant differences were found only in males, masculine Ss having a stronger preference for sex-typed tasks than those in other categorical groups. The PAQ variable, however, accounted for only a small percentage of the variance. The data support the Spence-Helmreich hypotheses that the PAQ and similar instruments are largely measures of instrumental and expressive personality traits rather than sex roles and that these personality dimensions are only minimally related to many sex role behaviors. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cardiovascular reactivity as a predictor of relapse in male and female smokers.

Examined the role of psychophysiological reactivity to general stressors measured before smoking cessation as a predictor of relapse in individuals who quit for a minimum of 12 hrs and were then followed for a 12-mo interval. The study group consisted of 132 (56.9%) female and 100 (43.1%) male participants in a formal smoking cessation program. The reactivity measures were taken while the Ss were still smoking. Heart rate and blood pressure measurements were taken while Ss were resting, performing mental arithmetic, and delivering a speech and after Ss had been standing for 2 min. In the sample as a whole and for women, a higher level of systolic blood pressure reactivity to the cognitive challenge was associated with a shorter time to relapse. In men, greater systolic blood pressure decline to standing was significantly associated with a shorter time to relapse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Classification and validation of behavioral subtypes of learning-disabled children.

63 1st and 2nd graders recently identified as having a learning disability (LD) and 66 normally developing Ss matched by grade, sex, and race with LD Ss were rated by teachers on the 60-item Classroom Behavior Inventory and observed using a time-sampling schedule of classroom activity norms. Analysis identified 7 distinct behavioral subtypes of LD Ss. In Cluster 1, 28.6% Ss had deficiencies in task-oriented behavior and independence. In Cluster 2 (25.4% of Ss) and Cluster 5 (9.5% of Ss), 2 variations of normal classroom behavior were represented. In Cluster 2, Ss had slightly elevated ratings on considerateness and introversion, while in Cluster 5, Ss were seen as slightly less considerate and more hostile. In Cluster 3, mild attention deficits in 14.3% of Ss were combined with high ratings on distractibility and hostility and low ratings on considerateness. In Cluster 4, 11% of Ss were withdrawn and overly dependent with low ratings on independence and extraversion and high ratings on dependence and introversion. In Cluster 6, 6.3% of Ss showed a pattern of a mild version of a global behavior disorder. In Cluster 7 (3 males), Ss were impaired on all classroom behaviors. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A randomized trial of a self-help smoking cessation intervention in a nonvolunteer female population: Testing the limits of the public health model.

2,786 smokers among 15,004 female members of a health maintenance organization who completed a routine needs assessment were invited into a preventive health behavior study, consisting of 5 telephone interviews over 2 yrs assessing health practices. 1,396 participants were randomized into experimental or control conditions of an unsolicited, mailed, self-help smoking cessation program. Ss were not alerted to the link between the program and the health study. Smoking status was assessed at 1, 6, 12, and 18 mo. Although quit rates were higher than in the general population and were comparable to volunteer samples in self-help smoking cessation trials, there was no differential effect of the targeted intervention on the experimental group compared with the control group. Data indicate that mass mailing of cessation materials is not a useful form of cessation intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Interest in smoking cessation among methadone maintained outpatients

The prevalence of cigarette smoking among opiate abusers is extremely high and tobacco related diseases are a major factor associated with morbidity and mortality for this group. Yet, many treatment providers remain reluctant to address smoking cessation with their clients due in part to the belief that substance abusers are not interested in quitting smoking. The present study examined self-reported interest in smoking cessation among methadone maintenance clients (N = 120) in four clinics in Los Angeles. Fifty-eight percent of subjects rated themselves as 'Somewhat' or 'Very Interested' in a smoking cessation program. Overall subjects appeared to accurately perceive the personal risks from tobacco smoking. In conclusion we find that clients in methadone maintenance treatment programs evidence a high level of interest in quitting smoking and may well be suited for a highly structured smoking cessation intervention.     

Abstinence from smoking and the social environment.

At 2, 3, and 8 wks following cessation from smoking, subjects reported the frequencies of specific behaviors from their spouses, families, and friends via the Social Interaction Questionnaire. Factor analysis of questionnaire data indicated that three clusters were generalizable across the three sources, resulting in nine social interaction scores. Two of these scores were significantly related to outcome at 13-wks postcessation. Compared with recidivists, abstainers reported more helping behaviors from friends throughout the maintenance period. Additionally, the pattern of friends' prompting of or modeling of smoking over the three assessments differentiated abstainers from recidivists, with recidivists indicating increases in the prompting of relapse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)