Contingent payment procedures for smoking reduction and cessation

J Appl Behav Anal. 1986 Summer;19(2):197-202. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1986.19-197.

Abstract

We assessed the ability of a combined contingent reinforcement and intensive monitoring procedure to promote and sustain temporary smoking cessation among 34 hired research volunteers, and the ability of a smoking reduction test to predict the subsequent initiation of abstinence. During the 5-day cutdown test, subjects were paid from $0 to $6 per day depending on the extent of reduction from baseline CO levels. During the abstinence test, breath samples were obtained three times daily and subjects were paid $4 for each CO reading less than or equal to 11 ppm. Sixty-eight percent of subjects initiated abstinence. Of the breath samples collected during the abstinence test (91% of scheduled samples), 96.5% were less than or equal to 11 ppm and 80.5% were less than or equal to 8 ppm. Subjects who earned more money during the cutdown test were more likely to abstain (r = -0.51, p less than .001). Contingent reinforcement and intensive monitoring procedures appear to have usefulness for analog studies of smoking reduction and cessation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Carbon Monoxide / analysis
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Monitoring, Physiologic
  • Reinforcement, Psychology*
  • Smoking Prevention*

Substances

  • Carbon Monoxide