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Smoking, personality and reasons for smoking

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

I. C. McManus*
Affiliation:
St Mary's Hospital Medical School and Bedford College, University of London
S. Jane Weeks
Affiliation:
St Mary's Hospital Medical School and Bedford College, University of London
*
1Address for Correspondence: Dr I. C. McManus, Department of Psychiatry, St Mary's Hospital, Harrow Road, London W9 3RL; and Department of Psychology, Bedford College, Regent's Park, London NWI.

Synopsis

The relationships between smoking, reasons for smoking and personality were investigated in 98 cigarette smokers. Contrary to the usual findings, smoking did not relate to extraversion (E) but related instead to psychoticism (P). It is suggested that this relation is the true one, and previous findings have been due to a contaminated measure of E. Neuroticism (N) was related to the amount smoked, and particularly to a willingness to give reasons for smoking. There was no relation between the Reasons for Smoking Questionnaire, and attempts or success at giving up smoking. Smokers who rolled their own cigarettes were more introverted than others. No measures showed significant relations with the nicotine content of cigarettes

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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