Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Cue-Evoked Positive Affect, Depression Vulnerability And Smoking Years, Dennis E. Mcchargue, Neal Doran

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Objectives—To evaluate whether cue-evoked affective response would moderate the relationship between depression-proneness and smoking years.

Methods—Depression-proneness profiles were derived using clinician diagnosed personal and family histories of major depression, recurrent depression, trait-anhedonia, and ruminative coping styles (n=70). Affective distress was produced by idiographic, guided negative mood imageries in the presence of an in vivo cigarette exposure.

Results—Contrary to expectations, results showed that individuals less vulnerable to depression reported longer smoking histories. Stress-induced decreases in positive affect bolstered the association between depression vulnerability and smoking years.

Conclusion—Depression-proneness assumptions are challenged and implications to affective influences on smoking behavior are discussed.