Implicit cognition and tobacco addiction

Much recent research has used implicit assessment techniques to examine automatic motivational and affective processes relevant to tobacco addiction. We review this literature. We review reaction time studies using the modified Stroop task, visual dot-probe task, dual-task paradigm, implicit association task, priming task, and the expectancy accessibility task. We also briefly review memory association studies, facial coding studies, and startle probe studies. We assess whether each implicit measure is (1) associated with smoking status (smokers vs. nonsmokers), (2) associated with heaviness of smoking, (3) prospectively related to cessation outcomes, (4) associated with self-reported craving, and (5) moderated by abstinence from smoking or perceived availability of smoking. Research in implicit cognition and tobacco addiction is in its infancy, but this early research suggests some promising research avenues.