The Influence of Episodic Future Thinking and Graphic Warning Labels on Delay Discounting and Cigarette Demand

Gideon P. Naudé, Sean B. Dolan, Justin C. Strickland, Meredith S. Berry, David J. Cox and Matthew W. Johnson
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Gideon P. Naudé: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
Sean B. Dolan: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
Justin C. Strickland: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
Meredith S. Berry: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
David J. Cox: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
Matthew W. Johnson: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 23, 1-15

Abstract: Delay discounting and operant demand are two behavioral economic constructs that tend to covary, by degree, with cigarette smoking status. Given historically robust associations between adverse health outcomes of smoking, a strong preference for immediate reinforcement (measured with delay discounting), and excessive motivation to smoke cigarettes (measured with operant demand), researchers have made numerous attempts to attenuate the extent to which behaviors corresponding to these constructs acutely appear in smokers. One approach is episodic future thinking, which can reportedly increase the impact of future events on present decision making as well as reduce the reinforcing value of cigarettes. Graphic cigarette pack warning labels may also reduce smoking by increased future orientation. Experiment 1 evaluated the combined effects of episodic future thinking and graphic warning labels on delay discounting; Experiment 2 evaluated solely the effects of episodic future thinking on delay discounting and operant demand. We observed no statistically significant effects of episodic future thinking when combined with graphic warning labels or when assessed on its own. These results serve as a call for further research on the boundary conditions of experimental techniques reported to alter behaviors associated with cigarette smoking.

Keywords: episodic future thinking; graphic warning labels; cigarette smoking; behavioral economics; delay discounting; demand (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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