EFFECTS OF SMOKING ON MEMORY FOR PROSE PASSAGES

The present study examined the effects of smoking on memory for prose passages. Habitual male smokers were marched on verbal ability, impuls ivity level, and habitual smoking level and were instructed to smoke e ither a 0.1 mg (control), a 0.7 mg, or a 1.5 mg nicotine cigarette in a controlled fashion. Immediate recall after reading expository passag es was obtained. The results indicated that the subjects who smoked th e 0.7 mg nicotine cigarette recalled a greater proportion of the idea units than the control group, with no difference between the 1.5 mg gr oup and the control. In addition, blood pressure and heart rate signif icantly increased in all groups immediately after smoking, with heart rate increases greater in the 0.7 mg and 1.5 mg groups than the contro l. Interpretive hypotheses for the results include arousal theory, wit h optimal arousal levels being obtained in the 0.7 mg nicotine group f or the prose recall task, and nicotine specific effects, including nic otine's influence on the cholinergic system.