THE EFFECTS OF REDUCED CIGARETTE SMOKING ON DISCOUNTING FUTURE REWARDS: AN INITIAL EVALUATION

Abstract

To determine whether reduction of smoking via contingency management in dependent smokers would decrease the discounting of delayed reinforcers compared with smokers who did not reduce their smoking, moderate to heavy cigarette smokers were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: a contingency management condition and a control condition. In three phases (baseline discounting determination for hypothetical money and cigarettes, implementation of a contingency management or control condition, and postintervention discounting determination), the procedure to reinforce reduction in cigarette smoking produced CO decreases in all subjects exposed to that procedure. Discounting decreased significantly for both cigarettes and money among the group for whom smoking reductions were reinforced, whereas the control group showed no significant change for either commodity. Reductions in smoking can lead to reductions in discounting, and increased discounting in current smokers may be a reversible effect of nicotine dependence.

Figure 1

Upper panel shows the mean carbon monoxide (CO) readings among the group that received monetary compensation for CO < 12 ppm at baseline and at each of the 15 CO assessments. Lower panel shows the percentage of the group that provided CO < 12 ppm across the same assessments.

Figure 2

Indifference points are shown for hypothetical money (upper panels), and cigarettes (lower panels) for those who were (right panels) and were not (left panels) exposed to the contingency for CO < 12 ppm.