The psychological environment and stressful situations often prevent people from predicting further actions and behavior. The outcomes of suppression and stress can be different and, therefore, smoking cannot be expelled from the list either. In the article under analysis called I suppress, Therefore I smoke: Effects of Thought Suppression on Smoking Behavior, the authors dedicate their study to the evaluation of human behavior as well as the influence of stress and thought suppression on smoking behavior. The researchers have also explained the effects of controlling thoughts and emotions as well as have defined what consequences it can have for individual health.
The main idea of the research is to define whether stressful situations, as well as excessive control of emotions and thoughts positively, affect the number of cigarettes smoked during a day. In order to conduct the research, the scholars resort to the sampling method and define the target audience via e-mailing and analyzing the questionnaires fulfilled by the chosen volunteers. The selected group is further subjected to other experiments designed for a period of 3 weeks. Gender and age characteristics have also been fixed. In addition, the participants have also been asked about the frequency as well as the negative effects triggering them to smoke more. Specific scales have been designed to find out the stress level and intensity of influence of negative situations on thought suppression. The individuals taking part in the experiment were divided into the suppression group, the expression group, and the controlled group.
The findings have revealed that suppression groups smoked much less compared to other observed groups. Such a situation was typical for the participants of this group, irrespective of age and gender affiliation. Further, similar results were observed, despite the fact that the participants from the suppression group were told not to change their behavior, which provides the implications to believe that short-term suppression can be effective in diminishing the displays of unwanted behavior. Finally, the researchers have noticed the changes in the stress levels during all three weeks indicating that stress increases with the increase in suppression. In addition, the correlation between the attempts of the participants to quit smoking as well as the stressful situations, was also evident. In particular, the researchers have found that there were no attempts to quit smoking.
The study presented in the article is consistent with the resources, evidence, and materials used. The methods of the research are also relevant and have contributed greatly to the analysis of the results and procedures. It should also be stressed that the authors have managed to introduce theoretical frameworks and effectively apply them to practical knowledge. The experiment has also revealed significant implications for further research on smoking cessation. Specifically, it is possible to dedicate future studies to the evaluation of conditions and favorable environments needed to reduce smoking behavior. Alternative patterns of behavior can be designed to contribute to problem resolution. Therefore, the article is of great importance for the studies in the sphere of psychology and controlling behavior.
References
Erskine, J. A. K., Georgiou, G. J., Kvavilashvili, L. (2010). I suppress therefore I smoke: effects of thought suppression on smoking behaviour. Psychological Science, 21(9), 1225-1230. Print.