Does Plain Cigarette Packaging Make Cigarettes Taste Bad? A Combined Psychophysiological and Evaluative Conditioning Study.
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1
University of Newcastle, Psychology, Australia
The aim of the present study was to determine whether plain cigarette packaging (PCP) can alter the perceived pleasantness of an odour using a combination of evaluative conditioning and psychophysiological techniques. The motivation derives from consumer reports and recent research indicating PCP may reduce perceived pleasantness of tobacco smoke among smokers. Using an evaluative conditioning paradigm, 52 participants rated the pleasantness of six odours before and after a paired odour-image conditioning phase while skin conductance was continuously acquired. During the conditioning phase each odour was simultaneously presented with one of five different cigarette pack types where participants were instructed to rate the pleasantness of computer displayed cigarette pack images. The five pack types were: Fully-Branded=Packs; Plain-Packs or one of three digitally altered Plain-Packs, where the original graphic health warning image (GHW) was replaced with either a Pleasant, Unpleasant or Neutral image (IAPS; International Affective Picture System). A sixth odour-image condition served as a control where the odour and pack image pairing was randomised. Presentation software (NBS) was used to deliver odours via a liquid dilution Olfactometer, to synchronise and sequence image presentation and record participant ratings. It was predicted that if PCP decreases odour pleasantness then post-conditioning odour ratings would be reduced relative to pre-conditioning ratings for odours paired with plain cigarette packets but not fully-branded packets. Further, it was predicted that the post-conditioning SCR for odours paired with a positive or negatively valenced plain cigarette packets would be increased but not odours paired with Neutral images or the Control condition. The results revealed significant differences in ratings and SCR for positive, negative and GHW cigarette packs, however no significant differences were observed for post-conditioning relative to pre-conditioning SCR and odour ratings. This failure to demonstrate evaluative conditioning of odours by PCP is discussed in terms of potential limitations of the present design and future research.
Keywords:
evaluative conditioning,
Olfaction,
Plain Cigarette Packaging,
skin conductance response (SCR),
Affective Neuroscience
Conference:
ASP2015 - 25th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Psychophysiology, Sydney, Australia, 2 Dec - 4 Dec, 2015.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Psychophysiology
Citation:
Cook
MJ,
Watkeys
O,
Wong
AS,
Kemp
T,
Timora
JR and
Budd
TW
(2015). Does Plain Cigarette Packaging Make Cigarettes Taste Bad? A Combined Psychophysiological and Evaluative Conditioning Study..
Conference Abstract:
ASP2015 - 25th Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Psychophysiology.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2015.219.00012
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Received:
01 Nov 2015;
Published Online:
30 Nov 2015.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Timothy W Budd, University of Newcastle, Psychology, Ourimbah, NSW, 2258, Australia, Bill.Budd@newcastle.edu.au