Smoking as Behavior: Applying a Social Psychological Theory

Because current theoretical approaches to the study of smoking behavior have variously defined the nature of the dependent variable, have been characterized by limited generalizability, and lack continuity with general social psychological theory, a new perspective is presented. The new model is drawn from the study of the educational and occupational attainment process and views smoking as a behavior determined by an informational construct, i.e., attitude. The applicability of this model is discussed, then empirically tested by reference to a survey of 97 undergraduates and their agents of interpersonal influence. The results of this study are examined as to the applicability of the theoretical model and the implications of the approach for the formation of smoking policy.