Influence of acute smoking exposure on the subsequent reinforcing value of smoking

The reinforcing value of smoking (i.e., the degree to which a smoker will work to obtain smoking) after varying the magnitude of prior smoke exposure in smokers not trying to quit was examined. Eight men and 8 women participated in 5 sessions involving manipulation of prior exposure to smoking: 0, 2, 6, or 12 puffs after overnight smoking abstinence or ad-lib smoking before the session. After exposure, participants engaged in a computer task involving concurrent schedules of reinforcement for smoke puffs (16% all trials) versus money (4-64%). Only the greatest amount of prior exposure (ad lib) produced a significant reduction in subsequent responding for smoke puffs. No exposure condition significantly increased responding above that for 0 puffs, indicating no priming effect. By contrast, self-report measures of desire to smoke and amount of money participants would pay for a cigarette declined sharply with greater prior exposure. These measures were correlated only weakly with smoke-reinforced responding on the behavioral task, suggesting that subjective versus behavioral measures assess different dimensions of smoking's reward value.