"Self-perceptions And Smoking Behavior" by Austin Thomas Deslauriers

Date of Award

1983

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Abstract

In order to implement the purpose of this research, it was decided to try to identify a set of self-perceptual variables which distinguished people in terms of their smoking behavior. Smoking behavior was construed as manifesting itself across a continuum from nonsmoking to smoking. This was consistent with the self-orientation of the present research in which smoking is not viewed as a discrete behavior, separate from one's view of self. With the general aim of gathering as much information as possible from a previously unexplored area, a questionnaire was constructed which tapped four aspects of self-perception: general self-description (adjective ratings), specific self-description (behavioral exemplars), self-effectance (locus of control) and self-evaluation (semantic differential ratings). The hypotheses predicted that self-perceptions would show a relationship to smoking behavior by successfully discriminating people in terms of their smoking behavior. More specifically, it was hypothesized the groups would differ in each aspect of self-perception and that smokers would constitute the most distinct group.;A total of 435 persons (210 Nonsmokers, 156 Smokers, and 69 Quitters) participated in the main study. Smokers indicated more frustration, a greater identification with cigarettes as expressing the "real me", a more positive evaluation of themselves as a smoker and less evaluative distance between themselves as a smoker or a nonsmoker than did the other groups. Discriminant analyses demonstrated that a set of self-perceptual variables discriminated the groups well, reclassified persons with considerable accuracy and accounted for a substantial amount of variance in smoking behavior. The first conclusion was that a relationship between self-perceptions and smoking behavior had been established. Secondly, self-perceptions were implicated in the process of behavior change with regard to smoking and in the maintenance of that change. Thirdly, aspects of self-perception specific to smoking seemed more important to discrimination and prediction than did more general aspects. Finally, light smokers were identified as a group somewhat distinct from other smokers in terms of their self-perceptions.

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