Cited by 55Smoking Behavior and CessationDecision-Making and Behavioral EconomicsSubstance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

Clarifying the relationship between impulsive delay discounting and nicotine dependence.

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Amlung, Michael, MacKillop, James·2014·Psychology of Addictive Behaviors

Abstract

Impulsive delayed reward discounting (DRD) has been linked to nicotine dependence, but with some inconsistency. This may be related to the considerable variability in the literature with regard to the DRD assessments used, particularly in the case of the reward magnitudes assessed. In addition, previous studies have often not considered concurrent substance use when examining the relationship between DRD and nicotine dependence. The current study sought to further clarify the relationship between DRD and nicotine dependence by characterizing DRD across diverse reward magnitudes and incorporating other substance use. Daily smokers (N = 933) were assessed for DRD preferences across nine reward magnitudes (delayed reward range: $2.50-$850), comorbid substance use, and relevant demographic variables (age, education, income). A significant large effect size magnitude effect was found for DRD, reflecting steeper discounting for smaller delayed rewards, but significant correlations across magnitudes also suggested similar relative levels of discounting. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to generate a single latent index of discounting across all magnitudes that accounted for 69% of the total variance. In correlation and regression analyses, steeper composite DRD was significantly associated with nicotine dependence severity. This relationship remained statistically significant after incorporating demographic variables and alcohol and illicit drug use. These findings provide evidence of a specific link between impulsive DRD and nicotine dependence and reveal that this association is robust across a broad range of monetary rewards. The study also demonstrates the utility of using PCA to generate latent indices of delay discounting across multiple magnitudes of delayed reward.

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Authors
Amlung, M., & MacKillop, J.
Affiliations
University of Georgia (US)
Corresponding author
MacKillop, James
Venue
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
Published
2014
Volume
28
Issue
3
Pages
761-768
ISSN
  • 0893-164X (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1501
OpenAlex
W2323215006
Cited by
55
References
44
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 2
FWCI
4.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Psychology of Addictive Behaviors (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health (K23 AA016936)
  • National Institute for Health Research (T32 AA013526)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
Keywords
delay discounting, nicotine dependence, impulsivity, reward magnitude, substance use comorbidity, alcohol consumption, illicit drug use, daily smokers
MeSH terms
Adult, Female, Humans, Impulsive Behavior, Male, Regression Analysis, Reward, Tobacco Use Disorder, Substance-Related Disorders, Principal Component Analysis, Young Adult, Economics, Behavioral, Delay Discounting

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