Protocol - Social Support for Quitting Smoking

Instructions to interviewer:

Positive and negative behaviors were mixed together in random order when presented to subjects. The interviewer should ask the following lead-in statements about the respondent and their smoking status.

We are interested in finding out if certain events have happened to you since (this program started/since you have been trying to quit smoking). We have included a broad range of events that can apply to spouses, relatives, or friends. If you are married or living with a romantic partner, please answer with respect to how that person responded to you and your quitting efforts. If not, pick the person - friend or relative - who followed your progress in quitting most closely, and answer in terms of how that person responded to you.

In the last month, how often did the person you are thinking of do the following? (Circle one number for each event).

a. Is this person your... (Circle only one)

1[ ]Spouse/romantic partner

2[ ]Friend

3[ ]Co-worker

4[ ]Relative

5[ ]No one

b. Is this person... (Circle one)

1[ ]Currently a smoker and NOT trying to quit

2[ ]Currently a smoker and trying to quit

3[ ]A recent ex-smoker; has quit since the beginning of the program

4[ ]An ex-smoker; who quit before the program started

5[ ]A nonsmoker; has never smoked

6[ ]A user of other tobacco products (e.g., pipe, cigar, smokeless)

Negative Behaviors

1. Asked you to quit smoking.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

2. Comment that smoking is a dirty habit.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

3. Talk you out of smoking a cigarette.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

4. Comment on your lack of willpower.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

5. Comment that the house smells of smoke.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

6. Refuse to let you smoke in the house.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

7. Mentioned being bothered by smoke.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

8. Criticize your smoking.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

9. Express doubt about your ability to quit/stay quit.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

10. Refuse to clean up your cigarette butts.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

Positive Behaviors

1. Compliment you on not smoking.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

2. Congratulate you for your decision to quit smoking.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

3. Help you think of substitutes for smoking.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

4. Celebrate your quitting with you.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

5. Help to calm you down when you are feeling stressed or irritable.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

6. Tell you to stick with it.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

7. Express confidence in your ability to quit/remain quit.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

8. Help you to use substitutes for cigarettes.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

9. Express pleasure at your efforts to quit.

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

10. Participate in an activity with you that keeps you from smoking (e.g., going for a walk instead of smoking).

0[ ]Never

1[ ]Almost never

2[ ]Sometimes

3[ ]Fairly often

4[ ]Very often

Scoring: Calculate separate scores for positive and negative behaviors by summing responses to the 10 items within each subscale. The positive/negative ratio score may also be calculated for each subject. The ratio of received positive/negative behaviors was a better predictor of abstinence than the frequencies of either positive or negative behavior alone, with higher ratios associated with abstinence.