Social control after a quit attempt: Differential effects for positive and negative control

Abstract

Background: Social control is assumed to be beneficial for health behavior change but to have emotional costs. Less is known about differences between positive (e.g., praise or compliment the target) and negative control (e.g., try to make target feel guilty). This was the aim of this study. Methods: 100 smokers (72 men, mean age = 40.48) completed daily diaries on positive and negative control received from their non-smoking partner, smoking, behavioral and affective outcomes for 21 days after a quitdate. Findings: On days with more than usual positive, but not negative control less smoking was reported. Moreover, on days with more than usual negative control smokers felt worse and reported more reactance; with more than usual positive control they felt better. Both, more negative and positive control across the 21 days were related to more hiding smoking. Additionally, on days with more than usual negative control, more hiding, but on days with more than usual positive control less hiding was reported. Discussion: Positive control seems to have more positive effects on smoking and behavioral and affective outcomes than negative control.