Internet-based intervention to support smoking cessation for Chinese smokers

The aim of the current study is to investigate the effectiveness of two online trainings: action tendency training and selective inhibition training on increasing smoking cessation among Chinese smokes.

Hypotheses:



1: It is expected that, for each of the training, participants in the active training conditions will show greater quitting rates, and/or less cigarette consumption per day, and/or craving, and/or nicotine dependence than participants in the placebo conditions.

We will also explore the training effects on two other variables, including explicit attitude about smoking, and self-efficacy to quit .



2: It is expected that, joint exposure to both active trainings condition will have a greater quitting rates, and/or less cigarette consumption per day, and/or craving, and/or nicotine dependence than each of the active trainings separately.



3: Action tendency training is hypothesized to decrease or reverse smoking-related approach bias, whereas there will be no change in bias in the placebo conditions.



4: Selective inhibition training is hypothesized to decrease or reverse smoking-related positive implicit associations, whereas there will be no change in associations in the placebo conditions.

5: It is expected that, the changed smoking-related approach bias will mediate the action tendency training effects on the quitting rates, and/or cigarette consumption per day, and/or craving, and/or nicotine dependence; and the changed smoking-related positive implicit associations will mediate the selective inhibition training effects on quitting rates, and/or cigarette consumption per day, and/or craving, and/or nicotine dependence.



We will also explore the generalization effect of action tendency training and inhibition control training on smoking-related approach implicit associations, respectively. And, we will also explore if this changed associations will mediate the training effects on the quitting rates, and/or cigarette consumption per day, and/or craving, and/or nicotine dependence.



6: There are three possible moderators will moderate the action tendency training effects on the quitting rates, and/or cigarette consumption per day, and/or craving, and/or nicotine dependence, and/or smoking-related approach bias:

• smoking-related approach bias assessed at pre-test,

• participants are heavy smokers or light smokers,

• participants are successfully trained or not.

It is expected that participants with stronger smoking-related approach bias, or are heavy smokers, or are successfully trained will show greater quitting rates, and/or less cigarette consumption per day, and/or less craving, and/or less nicotine dependence, and/or less smoking-related approach bias from the action tendency training than participants with weaker smoking-related approach bias, or are lighter smokers, or are not successfully trained.

7: There are also three possible moderators will moderate the selective inhibition training effects on the quitting rates, and/or cigarette consumption per day, and/or craving, and/or nicotine dependence, and/or smoking-related positive implicit associations:

• smoking-related positive implicit associations assessed at pre-test,

• participants are heavy smokers or light smokers,

• participants are successfully trained or not.

It is expected that participants with stronger smoking-related smoking-related positive implicit associations, or are heavy smokers, or are successfully trained will show greater quitting rates, and/or less cigarette consumption per day, and/or less craving, and/or less nicotine dependence, and or less smoking-related positive implicit associations from the selective inhibition training than participants with weaker smoking-related positive implicit associations, or are lighter smokers, or are not successfully trained.



We will also explore other three possible moderators: smoking-related approach implicit associations assessed at pre-test, impulsive personality assessed at pre-test, and self-control beliefs assessed at pre-test.

General speaking, there are four important time points to examine the training effects:

1. Half-way of the treatment (after 4th training session, about 4 weeks after pre-test)

2. after the treatment (after 8th training session, about 6 weeks after pre-test)

3. 3-month follow-up (about 4.5 months after the pre-test)

4. 6-month follow-up (about 7.5 months after the pre-test)

1. Study design:

the study is a 2 × 2 randomized trial design, which results in 4 intervention conditions:

Condition 1: Active action tendency training + Active selective inhibition training

Condition 2: Placebo action tendency training + Active selective inhibition training

Condition 3: Active action tendency training + Placebo selective inhibition training

Condition 4: Placebo action tendency training + Placebo selective inhibition training



2. The trainings:

Participants will receive 9 sessions of either the active or the placebo version of the two trainings within about four weeks after their quitting day. The action tendency training aims at decreasing or reversing smoking-related approach bias; and selective inhibition training aims at decreasing or reversing smoking-related positive implicit associations. Participants are allowed to finish each training session within one week. But we recommend them to do the training 2-3 sessions a week. Every training session last about 30 - 40 minutes. After they finish each training, participants will get tailored feedback on their training performance.