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Supplement to Promote Diversity: Looming Vulnerability and Smoking Cessation Attempts

Award Number: R15CA198838
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2016
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2019

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Supplement to Promote Diversity: Looming Vulnerability and Smoking Cessation Attempts - DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Despite widespread publicity concerning negative consequences of cigarette smoking, almost one-fifth of U.S. adults are current smokers. This application aims to increase the reach of smoking cessation programs by studying a new way to motivate smokers to make quit attempts. The novel motivational approach is based on the "looming vulnerability" model of anxiety. The model proposes that anxiety arises from perceptions of a threatening stimulus as rapidly escalating or as moving closer to the person in space or time (i.e., "looming"). The proposed project is an experiment in which daily (>= 10 cigarettes/day) smokers aged 18 or over (N = 290) will be exposed to either neutral guided imagery or imagery suggesting that the negative health consequences of smoking are looming. The induction is intended to increase smokers' sense of urgency about quitting by fostering the perceptions that the health consequences of smoking are increasing and coming closer to them, as opposed to remaining stagnant, distant threats. A new self-report measure of perceiving the health consequences of smoking as "looming" will be completed after the guided imagery exercise. Participants in both conditions will be given brief written advice to quit smoking, as wel as information about free public resources for those interested in smoking cessation. At a follow-up assessment four weeks later, participants will be interviewed regarding whether they have made a quit attempt since the experimental session. Smoking rate in the intervening period will also be measured, as well as expectancies for smoking. Additional analyses will be conducted to determine whether the induction works better for women, older smokers, or smokers with particular personality characteristics. Specific aims are: Specific Aim 1: to evaluate the utility f an imagery-based induction of looming vulnerability for increasing quit attempts among current smokers. Hypothesis 1: Smokers randomly assigned to receive a looming vulnerability induction will be significantly more likely to attempt to quit in the next four weeks than will those assigne to a neutral imagery induction. Specific Aim 2: to determine whether the effect of the looming vulnerability induction on quit attempts is mediated by perception of the consequences of smoking as looming. Hypothesis 2: The looming vulnerability induction increases quit attempts relative to a neutral induction via increases in the perception that the health consequences of smoking are indeed looming. Specific Aim 3: to determine whether the effect of the looming vulnerability induction on quit attempts is moderated by visual imagery ability, sensation seeking, sex, or age.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = -$15,098 )
2020	2016	AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, THE	4400 MASSACHUSETTS AVE, NW	WASHINGTON	DC	20016	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	1	5/23/2020	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	-$15,098
														Subtotal = -$15,098

Issue Date FY: 2019 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2019	2016	AMERICAN UNIVERSITY	4400 MASSACHUSETTS AVE, NW	WASHINGTON	DC	20016	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	001	1	7/12/2019	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$0
2019	2015	AMERICAN UNIVERSITY	4400 MASSACHUSETTS AVE, NW	WASHINGTON	DC	20016	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	1	7/12/2019	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2016 ( Subtotal = $30,988 )
2016	2016	AMERICAN UNIVERSITY	4400 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, NW	WASHINGTON	DC	20016	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	1	8/31/2016	SUPPLEMENT FOR EXPANSION	$30,988
														Subtotal = $30,988

Issue Date FY: 2015 ( Subtotal = $321,750 )
2015	2015	AMERICAN UNIVERSITY	4400 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, NW	WASHINGTON	DC	20016	DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA	USA	Cancer Cause and Prevention Research	000	1	7/23/2015	NEW	$321,750
														Subtotal = $321,750

Grand Total All Awards = $337,640

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Supplement to Promote Diversity: Looming Vulnerability and Smoking Cessation Attempts

Award Number: R15CA198838

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2016

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 12/31/2019

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