Personality, motivational and situational determinants of regular and occasional use of smokeless tobacco

This study evaluated the effects of personality, motivational, and situatio nal factors on Regular (n = 191) and Occasional (n = 80) users of smokeless tobacco (SLT) products. The participants completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ), Spielberger's State-Trait Personality Inventory (STPI ) and Anger Expression (AX) Scale, and questionnaires designed to evaluate the reasons why SLT-Users begin, continue, and are motivated to use smokele ss tobacco. Occasional Users had higher scores than Regular Users on the EP Q Extraversion scale; no other personality differences were found between t hese groups, Ratings of the importance of the reasons for beginning to use tobacco products were quite similar for the Regular and Occasional Users; n ovelty and enjoyment were ranked highest by both groups. In contrast, Regul ar Users rated 7 of the 10 reasons for continuing to use tobacco as signifi cantly more important than Occasional Users; enjoyment, stimulation and man agement of emotions were ranked as most important by both groups. Findings that smokeless tobacco products enhanced positive affect and intellectual s timulation, and reduced anxiety and boredom were generally consistent with Eysenck's Diathesis Stress Model. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.