This within-subjects study aims to evaluate the subjective rewarding value, the relative reinforcing value, and the absolute reinforcing value of sweet flavored cigarillos across three separate laboratory visits among 86 young adults (ages 18-24 years old) who have previously smoked \> 10 or more cigarillos in their lifetime.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
95
Sweet flavored vs. non-flavored cigarillos.
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Subjective Rewarding Value of Cigarillo Flavoring
Subjective rewarding value of cigarillo flavoring will be measured with the Cigarette Evaluation Scale (CES) adapted for cigarillo use. The CES is an 11 item Likert-format (1=not at all to 7=extremely) self-report instrument with established validity and reliability (α \> .80). The investigators will focus on the sum of the two-item satisfaction subscale ("Was it satisfying?" and "Did it taste good?") to calculate the subjective rewarding value. The minimum possible score is 2 and the maximum is 14. Higher scores denote greater subjective rewarding value. Primary Outcome measured at visit 1.
Time frame: Laboratory visit 1 (Day 1, 1.5 hours)
Relative Reinforcing Value of Cigarillo Flavoring
Relative reinforcing value of cigarillo flavoring will be measured with a validated choice paradigm, evaluating the preference for sweet flavored (the cigarillo with the highest rewarding value measured in visit 1) relative to non-flavored cigarillos. The reinforcement schedule in the non-flavored cigarillo remained constant at a fixed ratio FR-25, while the reinforcement schedule for the sweet-flavored cigarillo increased with a progressive ratio schedule of PR-25x over 10 trials. RRVF will be defined by the breakpoint (highest trial completed across 10 trials to earn puffs for sweet flavored versus non-flavored cigarillos). Higher breakpoints indicate a greater relative reinforcing value. Primary Outcome measured at visit 2.
Time frame: Laboratory visit 2 (Day 2, 2 hours)
Absolute Reinforcing Value of Cigarillo Flavoring
Absolute reinforcing value of cigarillo flavoring is operationalized as the number of sweet flavored versus non-flavored cigarillo puffs consumed during the ad libitum smoking session. A research assistant will videotape, monitor, and count the number of cigarillo puffs taken during the 90-minute period. The primary comparison is the amount of consumption (puffs) of the sweet flavored (determined at visit 1) versus non-flavored cigarillo. A greater number of puffs indicates a higher absolute reinforcing value. Primary Outcome measured at visit 3.
Time frame: Laboratory visit 3 (Day 3, 2.5 hours)
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