Social disapproval not fear helps smokers quit 14 March 2012
Researchers from Canterbury Christ Church University have found
that smokers are more likely to stop because of anti-social
attitudes towards them than from fear of ill-health. In 2008 the
United Kingdom became one of the first countries in Europe to
make it mandatory for cigarette packets sold within the UK to
display fear-provoking, graphic anti-smoking images, founded on
the assumption that the use of fear is an effective method to
encourage smokers to quit. However, in contrast to the assumed
effects of fear on quitting intentions, a series of experiments
conducted by Christ Church Psychologists Dr Wood and Dr Noor
consistently revealed that fear provoked by graphic images had
no effect on smokers’ intentions to stop smoking. Instead the
researchers found that smokers were more willing to consider
quitting if they accepted non-smokers negative attitudes towards
their habit. Dr Wood explained: “It is difficult to determine
just how effective the