Research has shown that teaching of behavioral techniques is successful in helping willing smokers to quit, only to return to smoking within a short time period. A sizable minority (20-50%) do not quit at all. This study investigated the hypothesis that the current emphasis on particular techniques for change (i.e. behavioral modification) rather than examining other potentially crucial variables (i.e. health beliefs) is responsible for the aforementioned results. Quitting smoking was conceived as a two phase process: (1) developing a set of specific health beliefs, hypothesized to be associated with non-smoking behavior and (2) learning behavioral techniques. The goal was to combine a persuasive message, based on the Health Belief Model, aimed at smoking related attitudes with a behavioral treatment program. Four treatment conditions were tested: persuasive message with behavioral techniques, persuasive message with placebo program, a placebo message with behavioral program, a placebo message with placebo program. Treatment was conducted in 17 groups (186 subjects total). Each group met for 10 sessions over a 9$1\over2$ week period. Data was collected at 5 points: before and after the first session, immediately before the second session, after the ninth session and after the last section. The results, analyzed by a path analysis, did not support the hypothesis. The persuasive message was not effective in changing health beliefs. However, subjects with stronger perceptions of the seriousness of the smoking consequences and lower perceptions of the number of cigarettes that could be safely smoked each day smoked fewer cigarettes. As in prior research, the behavior treatment was effective in reducing smoking, with 51% abstinent at the end of treatment, confirmed by respiratory air measurement. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 50-05, Section: B, page: 2207. / Major Professor: Daniel Boroto. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1989.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_78017 |
| Contributors | Miller, Melinda Ann., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 210 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
Page generated in 0.4239 seconds