ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTS OF URGES AND NEGATIVE AFFECT ON SMOKERS COPING SKILLS

A taped-situation test designed to elicit descriptions of how subjects would cope with circumstances that placed them at high risk for relap se to smoking was administered to 60 cigarette smokers following their participation in one of three treatment groups. Two of these groups h ad coping-response training incorporated into the treatment format. Th e negative affect and urge contents of eight scenarios were manipulate d to examine the effect of these variables on coping responses. The pr edictive validity of this assessment was evaluated by conducting follo w-up interviews for up to 1 yr following the assessment. The manipulat ion of negative affect and urges had an impact on cognitive and behavi oral coping. The type of treatment the subjects received had no effect on any of the coping-response measures. Among the 49 subjects abstine nt at the time of the coping assessment, measures of coping (especiall y those obtained when urges and negative affect were increased) and se lf-efficacy ratings were predictive of days to first relapse. The impl ications of the results for the assessment of coping-responses and con ceptualizations of the role of coping in the relapse process are discu ssed.