Dj. Drobes et St. Tiffany, INDUCTION OF SMOKING URGE THROUGH IMAGINAL AND IN-VIVO PROCEDURES - PHYSIOLOGICAL AND SELF-REPORT MANIFESTATIONS, Journal of abnormal psychology, 106(1), 1997, pp. 15-25
This experiment assessed reactivity to imaginal and in vivo smoking an
d control cues. One hundred current smokers were assessed during 2 ses
sions separated by a 6-hr interval, and half of the participants were
abstinent from smoking over this interval. Verbal and physiological re
activity measures were selected based on their relevance for several m
odels of urge. Results indicated that imaginal and in vivo smoking cue
s were equally effective at eliciting high levels of self-reported urg
es. Smoking deprivation led to a general enhancement in urge report, r
ather than a specific increase to smoking cues. Physiological respondi
ng differed somewhat as a function of urge induction method, although
autonomic responses to smoking cues were uniformly consistent with the
direct effects of nicotine. There was no relationship between verbal
and physiological urge indices. Implications of the findings for sever
al contemporary models of drug urges are discussed.