Smoking behavior and exposure to "dissonant" information

Abstract

In a study concerned with smokers' receptivity to information on the health risk of smoking, we submitted a questionnaire to 514 young adults attending classes at a community college. The questionnaire included, in addition to questions on the smoking history of the respondents and their beliefs and attitudes toward smoking, a list of information items, several of which dealt with the health risk of cigarette smoking. In order to test whether smokers avoid exposing themselves to "dissonant" information, we instructed the respondents to go through the list a second time and to circle items important for smokers. The prediction that a larger percentage of smokers than of nonsmokers would fail to circle any of the items was verified. No difference was found between smokers who exposed a wish to stop smoking and smokers who did not.