Psychology Commons^™

Public And Private Self-Consciousness And Smoking Behavior In Head And Neck Cancer Patients, Katharine Raichle, Alan Christensen, Shawn Ehlers, Patricia Moran, Lucy Karnell, Gerry Funk

Alan J. Christensen

Patients who continue to use tobacco following treatment for head and neck cancers are at a greater risk for cancer recurrence and earlier mortality. This study examined the unique effects of public and private self-consciousness and negative affect on smoking behavior in a sample of 40 patients with cancers of the head and neck. Measures of public and private self-consciousness and negative affect were administered and assessments of past and current smoking behavior were obtained. Only public self-consciousness was a significant predictor of continued smoking following oncologic treatment. Specifically, individuals with low levels of public self-consciousness were nearly 13 times …