Elsevier

Addictive Behaviors

Volume 19, Issue 2, March–April 1994, Pages 209-217
Addictive Behaviors

Effect of smoking characteristics on cognitive dissonance in current and former smokers

https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4603(94)90044-2Get rights and content

Abstract

The effect of smoking characteristics on the development of cognitive dissonance in current and former smokers is examined. Smoking characteristics (number of cigarettes per day, number of years smoked, and years since quitting) and health beliefs were obtained from over 9,000 respondents to the 1986 Adult Use of Tobacco Survey. Overall, current smokers exhibited more cognitive dissonance involving smoking-related beliefs than did former smokers. Logistic regression analysis indicated that heavier current smokers (those smoking ⩾20 cigarettes per day) were more likely to exhibit cognitive dissonance over smoking-related health beliefs than were lighter smokers. In contrast, number of cigarettes consumed per day had only minor effects on former smokers' beliefs; former smokers who had smoked for more years (⩾17), or who had quite recently (within the last 8 years), were more likely to showed greater dissonance than former smokers without these characteristics. The factors underlying these results and their implications for smoking cessation programs are discussed.

References (18)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (44)

  • Predictors of noticing stroke educational campaign

    2014, Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases
    Citation Excerpt :

    According to this theory, if people experience a conflict between attitudes (eg, smoking is harmful) and behavior (eg, smoking), they change their attitudes rather than their behavior. Several studies showed that smokers would rather adopt a more positive attitude toward smoking (ie, smokers underestimate smoking-related health risks) than change their behavior (ie, stop smoking).26-32 The underestimation of risks because of smoking was documented in one study in which a significantly smaller proportion of current smokers (16%) than nonsmokers (35%) or former smokers (38%) believe that smoking causes stroke.33

  • The payment dilemma in movie and music downloads: An explanation through cognitive dissonance theory

    2013, Computers in Human Behavior
    Citation Excerpt :

    After several decades of anti-smoking campaigns, it seems impossible that there are still uninformed smokers. The most common explanation for the smokers’ persistent, self-destructive behavior relies on cognitive dissonance theory (e.g., Halpern, 1994; McMaster & Lee, 1991), which holds that smokers will come up with favorable arguments for tobacco use in order to reduce the psychological tension resulting from the absurd inconsistency of continuing to smoke while being aware of cigarettes’ harmful effects. This study proposes using that same theory to explain why unpaid downloading is still prevalent even after numerous anti-piracy campaigns.

  • Adolescents' rationalizations to continue smoking: The role of disengagement beliefs and nicotine dependence in smoking cessation

    2009, Addictive Behaviors
    Citation Excerpt :

    Thus, smoking continuation among adolescents can, at least in part, be explained by the magnitude of nicotine dependence. In addition, studies among adults found that heavier and more dependent smokers displayed more cognitive dissonance in the form of minimizing, denying, or avoiding information about the dangers of smoking (Halpern, 1994). Since adolescents are reported to be well informed about the relation between smoking and health problems (Tewolde et al., 2006), it seems plausible that, besides experiencing physical and psychological dependence symptoms, adolescent smokers experience a fairly constant threat, knowing that smoking makes them susceptible to possible health damage and other negative consequences.

  • Depressive symptoms and smokers' perceptions of lung cancer risk: Moderating effects of tobacco dependence

    2009, Addictive Behaviors
    Citation Excerpt :

    In this college-age sample, results are consistent with these smokers thinking “I don't need to quit right away because after I quit, my risk will return to that of a non-smoker's in a fairly short period of time.” Although it may be true that in this college-age sample their shorter smoking histories point to a faster and complete reversal of their increased risk if they were to quit soon, their beliefs about the reversal of risk could also indicate the presence of dissonance-reducing strategies that delay attempting to quit (Halpern, 1994). Depressed dependent smokers may feel that smoking helps them cope or manage feelings of depression, and in combination with beliefs that their risk would be quickly eliminated in a relatively short period of time after quitting, this allows them to continue their habit without feeling concern about their habit.

View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text