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Stimulus Modality and Smoking Behavior: Moderating Role of Implicit Attitudes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 July 2015

Valentine C. Ezeh*
Affiliation:
University of Nigeria (Nigeria)
Philip Mefoh
Affiliation:
University of Nigeria (Nigeria)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Valentine C. Ezeh. Department of Psychology, Faculty of the Social Sciences. University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Nigeria). Enugu State. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

This study investigated whether stimulus modality influences smoking behavior among smokers in South Eastern Nigeria and also whether implicit attitudes moderate the relationship between stimulus modality and smoking behavior. 60 undergraduate students of University of Nigeria, Nsukka were used. Participants were individually administered the IAT task as a measure of implicit attitude toward smoking and randomly assigned into either image condition that paired images of cigarette with aversive images of potential health consequences or text condition that paired images of cigarette with aversive texts of potential health consequences. A one- predictor and one-moderator binary logistic analysis indicates that stimulus modality significantly predicts smoking behavior (p = < .05) with those in the image condition choosing not to smoke with greater probability than the text condition. The interaction between stimulus modality and IAT scores was also significant (p = < .05). Specifically, the modality effect was larger for participants in the image group who held more negative implicit attitudes towards smoking. The finding shows the urgent need to introduce the use of aversive images of potential health consequences on cigarette packs in Nigeria.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2015 

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