Read the article “Differential effects of a body image exposure session on smoking urge between
physically active and sedentary female smokers,”and identify the research questions and/or
hypotheses as they are stated. Consider the following questions: What are the variables (sample
sizes, population, treatments, etc.)? What are the inferential statistics used in this article? Were
the proper steps of hypothesis testing followed?
Write a two- to three-page paper presenting the information listed below. Include a title page and
reference page in APA style. Cite any references made to the article within the body of the paper
in APA style. Your paper should begin with an introductory paragraph (including a thesis
statement) and end with a concluding paragraph summarizing the major points made in the body
of the paper and reaffirming the thesis. When writing the article critique, your paper must:
1. Determine what question(s) the authors are trying to answer by doing this research
2. Determine the hypothesis being tested and the concepts that were applied in this process.
3. Evaluate the article and critique the statistical analysis employed in the study.
o Would you have included more and/or different variables? Explain your answer.
4. Examine the assumptions and limitations of the statistical study.
o What would you have done differently in this case? Why?
5. Identify how the authors applied statistical testing to the problem.
6. Interpret the findings of the author(s) using statistical concepts.
You may access the Critical Thinking Community (Links to an external site.)Links to an external
site. website for tips on how to formulate your thoughts and discussion of these questions in a
logical and meaningful manner.
Writing the Article Critique
The Assignment:
1. Must be two to three double-spaced pages in length (excluding title and reference pages),
and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
2. Must include a title page with the following:
a. Title of paper
b. Student’s name
c. Course name and number
d. Instructor’s name
e. Date submitted
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
2013, Vol. 27, No. 1, 322–327
© 2012 American Psychological Association
0893-164X/13/$12.00 DOI: 10.1037/a0031367
BRIEF REPORT
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
Differential Effects of a Body Image Exposure Session on Smoking Urge
Between Physically Active and Sedentary Female Smokers
Uma S. Nair and Bradley N. Collins
Melissa A. Napolitano
Temple University
The George Washington University
Smoking is often used as a maladaptive weight control strategy among female smokers. Many of the
perceived benefits accrued from smoking, including enhanced mood, reduced anxiety, and weight
control, can also be achieved through physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the
effects of a novel behavioral task (body-image exposure) that was designed to elicit body image and
weight concerns on urge to smoke among 18 –24 year old female smokers who vary in levels of physical
activity. Using a cue-reactivity paradigm, 16 sedentary (SE) and 21 physically active (PA) female
smokers (ⱖ5 cigarettes/day for past 6 months) were exposed to a pilot tested body-image exposure
session. Self-reported urge and latency to first puff were obtained before and after exposure session.
Paired sample t tests showed significant increases in self-reported urge (p ⬍ .01) and quicker latency to
first puff (p ⬍ .01) at posttest for the entire sample compared with pretest. Results of partial correlation
(controlling for body mass index [BMI], nicotine dependence, withdrawal, and depressive symptoms)
showed that increased time engaging in vigorous intensity physical activity was associated with lower
self-reported urge to smoke at post (r ⫽ ⫺0.44; p ⫽ .01) but not with latency to first puff (r ⫽ ⫺.10;
p ⫽ .62). These results suggest that among weight-concerned female smokers, physical activity may
attenuate smoking urges in a context where weight concerns are increased. Future research should
continue to explore effects of physical activity on reactivity to body image and smoking cues and
variability in smoking cue-reactivity related to physical activity.
Keywords: urge to smoke, physical activity, women, weight concerns
Brandon, 2008), suggesting that body image dissatisfaction and
weight concerns are motivators for smoking in women and that
smoking may attenuate weight concerns.
Physical activity is a healthy, effective behavior for managing
weight and weight concerns. It also may reduce nicotine urges and
other withdrawal symptoms during smoking cessation (Taylor,
Ussher, & Faulkner, 2007; Ussher, Taylor, & Faulkner, 2012). Both
lab studies and intervention trials have demonstrated positive acute
effects of different exercise intensities on reduction of smoking urges
(e.g., Bock, Marcus, King, Borrelli, & Roberts, 1999; Marcus et al.,
1999; Taylor, Katomeri, & Ussher, 2005). It is less clear whether
physical activity relates to positive long-term smoking outcomes (e.g.,
Marcus et al., 2003) because of methodological variations in length,
type, and timing of physical activity sessions and adherence to protocols across studies (Ussher et al., 2012). Despite these inconsistencies, current knowledge points to potential behavioral mechanisms
that may explain how physical activity influences smoking behavior.
Within associative learning and expectancy theories (Bolles,
1972; Brandon, Herzog, Irvin, & Gwaltney, 2004), similar outcome expectancies that are related to weight control, weight concern, and body dissatisfaction may precede physical activity and
smoking. Expectancies are anticipated reinforcement one learns to
expect following a specific behavior. For example, people learn
that smoking (or exercising) will reduce their weight concerns, or
guilt about overeating. Both behaviors are maintained, in part, by
A burgeoning literature suggests that women smokers have
greater difficulty quitting smoking and face many unique tobaccorelated risks to their reproductive and sexual health compared to
men (Collins & Nair, in press; Perkins & Scott, 2008). This
evidence warrants ongoing research to better understand behavioral mechanisms underlying smoking among women. Body and
weight concerns are primary factors related to smoking and difficulty quitting among women (Collins, Nair, Hovell, & AudrainMcGovern, 2009; Perkins, 2001). In general, women smokers have
greater body image dissatisfaction and weight concerns than men
(King, Matacin, Marcus, Bock, & Tripolone, 2000), refrain from
quitting to avoid weight gain (Pomerleau, Zucker, & Stewart,
2001), and have greater attrition from smoking cessation programs
(Copeland, Martin, Geiselman, Rash, & Kendzor, 2006). Lab
studies that elicit increased weight concerns imply causal associations with increased urge to smoke (Lopez, Drobes, Thompson, &
This article was published Online First December 31, 2012.
Uma S. Nair and Bradley N. Collins, Department of Public Health,
Temple University; Melissa A. Napolitano, Department of Prevention and
Community Health, The George Washington University.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Uma S.
Nair, Department of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA
19122. E-mail: uma.nair@temple.edu
322
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND URGE TO SMOKE
processes of positive and negative reinforcement (e.g., AudrainMcGovern, Rodriguez, & Moss, 2003; Byrne & Byrne, 1993),
with each behavior associated with immediate positive consequences (e.g., pleasurable pharmacologic drug effects, release of
endorphins during exercise), as well as the reduction of aversive
stimuli (e.g., unpleasant mood or stress). Thus, physical activity
could be viewed as an alternate reinforcer to smoking, particularly
with respect to weight concerns.
The purpose of this study was to assess effects of physical
activity versus sedentary behavior on smoking urge response following a body image challenge with weight-concerned female
smokers. The primary hypothesis was that after the body image
manipulation, sedentary smokers would demonstrate greater selfreported urge to smoke and a shorter latency to first puff on a
posttest cigarette compared with physically active smokers.
323
2 hour nicone deprivaon (CO
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