Smoking May Restore Tapped-Out Self-Control Resources

[Vocalek]

Smoking may restore tapped-out self-control resources

"Our goal was to study whether tobacco smoking affects an individual's self-control resources," said lead author Bryan W. Heckman, M.A., a graduate student at the Moffitt tobacco Research and Intervention Program and the Department of Psychology at the University of South Florida. "We hypothesized that participants who underwent a self-control depletion task would demonstrate less persistence on behavioral tasks requiring self-control as compared to those with self-control intact, when neither group was allowed to smoke. However, we also hypothesized that we would not find this performance decrement among participants who were permitted to smoke."

The investigators' hypotheses were supported.

"We found that smoking did have a restorative effect on an individual's depleted self-control resources," said Heckman. "Moreover, smoking restored self-control, in part, by improving smokers' positive mood."

According to the researchers, evidence is mounting to suggest that self-control is a limited resource that acts like a muscle -- expending self-control on a task has the short-term effect of depleting the resource, making it more difficult to engage in another task that requires self-control. While nicotine has been found to enhance performance on a variety of cognitive activities, such as motor abilities, attention and memory, this study was the first to evaluate the effects of smoking on self-control. It suggests that the desire to restore depleted self-control may contribute to smokers' addiction to tobacco.

And perhaps this also explains why some folks who have quit smoking become irritable and snappish. I know someone who quit smoking 4 years ago. Before quit, he was one of the most patient people you have ever seen. The irritability doesn't seem to be a "temporary withdrawal symptom." It looks more as if nicotine was functioning as a self-medication that kept him on an even keel.

What's their advice?

"Finding other ways to relax or enhance one's mood would be much healthier alternatives. In fact, even raising glucose level -- perhaps by consuming a sugary drink -- has been shown to restore self-control."

This doesn't seem like a sensible alternative for someone who is diabetic or pre-diabetic.

 

[Stubby]

I'll make a wild guess and say this is another one which will be ignored by the ANTZ.

 

[VapApe]

I'll make a wild guess and say this is another one which will be ignored by the ANTZ.

Looks left looks right and waves you in closer. Then whispers bet heavy its a sure thing