Measuring smoking-related attentional bias with a change detection task

Despite well known health risks, cigarette smoking remains very prevalent in the United States. In addition, those who attempt to quite are very likely to relapse. Cognitive predictors have not been well examined to date, despite evidence from the Incentive- Sensitization model of addiction that cognitive processes play a large role in relapse and continued addictive behavior (Robinson & Berridge, 1993). To address if the cognitive adaptations involved in the Incentive-Sensitization model are permanent or semi-permanent, this current study examined the abilities of current smokers (n = 15), former smokers (n = 13), and never smokers (n = 15) to detect changes involving both smoking-related stimuli and neutral stimuli using a flicker paradigm. Contrary to the hypotheses, the current smokers did not exhibit a bias in attention toward smoking-related stimuli, and no group differed in change-detection capabilities when compared to any other group. Possible reasons for the unexpected findings are presented, as well as discussion about the construction of an effective change-detection task.