Testing Methods of Self-persuasion Involving Cigarette Smoking

Testing Methods of Self-persuasion Involving Cigarette Smoking

Smokers who are not actively engaged in quitting will participate in a study using self-generated text and audio text messages containing reasons to quit smoking.

Participants must have a smartphone that can accept text messages from an email address and link to a study related website to hear audio recordings, and be willing to receive a text message each weekday for two weeks between 8-9am as part of the study. After completing a phone screener, participants will complete a baseline phone survey. Within two weeks of the baseline survey, participants will come to an in-person session. At that time they will be randomized with equal probability to one of two conditions: 1) Motivational Interviewing (MI), or 2) tailored feedback on reasons for quitting. After undergoing MI or receiving tailored feedback, participants will be asked to generate message that they feel would motivate them to quit. These messages will be both text and audio. After generating and reviewing these messages, participants will then evaluate these messages before ending the laboratory session. Starting two days after their laboratory session, between 8:00am and 9:00am, staff will send participants one of the self-generated text messages with a link to also hear the message; this process will last for two weeks. Within a week of stopping sending messages, participants will be asked to complete a final phone survey to elicit smoking behaviors and provided feedback on the messaging.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years old or older
• not actively engaged in trying to quit smoking
• must have smoked 100 cigarettes to date
• must smoke at least 1 cigarette per day
• must own smartphone capable of receiving messages from study email
• must agree to receive text messages between 8-9am each weekday for 2 weeks