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The Relative Impact Of Nicotine Dependence Versus Other Substance Dependence On Decision-Making, Michael S. Businelle Jan 2007

The Relative Impact Of Nicotine Dependence Versus Other Substance Dependence On Decision-Making, Michael S. Businelle

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Research has indicated that individuals who are dependent on substances may have decision-making deficits that contribute to their continued substance use. Previous studies have shown that substance-dependent individuals focus more on the immediate rather than the delayed consequences of their actions, and more rapidly discount rewards that are available after a delay than individuals without a history of substance dependence. The present study compared the performance of four groups of individuals on the Gambling Task and the Delayed Discounting Task. The groups were (a) heavy smokers with comorbid substance dependence, (b) heavy smokers with no history of substance dependence, (c) …


Assessing The Influence Of Religion On Health Behavior, David B. Creel Jan 2007

Assessing The Influence Of Religion On Health Behavior, David B. Creel

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

A primary aim of this study was to confirm the factor structure of the Health and Religious Congruency Scale (HARCS), a measure previously developed by the same research team. The HARCS questions directly link religious beliefs/activities to health behaviors. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that the current data fit poorly to the factor structure found in the pilot study. Because the current sample was more religiously diverse than the pilot study sample, and could potentially provide a factor structure that better reflects the views of individuals from different religious affiliations, a principal components analysis was conducted on the current data. …


Comparison Of Three Methods For Measuring Smoking Behavior, Melissa D. Blank Jan 2007

Comparison Of Three Methods For Measuring Smoking Behavior, Melissa D. Blank

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding the factors that influence regular tobacco use often involves detailed assessment of individuals' smoking behavior (i.e., puff topography), including measuring puff number, volume, duration, and inter-puff interval (IPI) via mouthpiece-based, computerized devices. For example, puff topography measurement has been used to study smoking cessation medications, as well as to demonstrate brand-induced changes in smoking behavior. However, some research suggests that the use of a mouthpiece to evaluate puff topography may alter natural smoking behavior. Thus, this study was designed to compare topography measurement using mouthpiece-based methods (i.e., desktop and portable computerized devices) to methods that do not use a …


The Effects Of Transdermal Nicotine On Tobacco/Nicotine Withdrawal And Concurrently Administered Cigarettes In Women And Men, Betha A. Kleykamp Jan 2007

The Effects Of Transdermal Nicotine On Tobacco/Nicotine Withdrawal And Concurrently Administered Cigarettes In Women And Men, Betha A. Kleykamp

Theses and Dissertations

Transdermal nicotine (TN) is a smoking cessation pharmacotherapy thought to work by suppressing tobacco/nicotine withdrawal and reducing the effect of a concurrently smoked tobacco cigarette. Clinical trials suggest that TN may be less efficacious for women. This study explored the possibility of gender differences in response to transdermal nicotine in 54 women and 70 men. Participants completed four within-subject, double-blind, randomized sessions corresponding to 0, 7, 14, and 21 mg TN and 4-hrs after TN application smoked an own-brand cigarette. Prior to session onset participants completed ≥ 8 hours of verified tobacco cigarette abstinence (i.e., expired air carbon monoxide levels …