Product Design
Cigarette Smoking, Health, and Dissonance (Project Libra)
Abstract
Outlines Project Libra's survey research methods to study psychological differences among smokers, people who have never smoked, and ex-smokers' attitudes regarding smoking and health. Describes questionnaires and defines sample size. Results of data analyses will be presented in future reports.
User-Contributed Notes
Fields
- Author
- Oldman, Martin (INFOTAB Assistant Secretary General)1989
- Recipient
- de Siqueira, C.J.P. (Scientist at BAT 1975-76)Scientist at British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd.(?)in 1975-76.
- Felton, David Geoff Dr. (Sr. Scientist for BATCo R&D '75-76)Dr. Felton was senior scientist for the Research and Development Dept of British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd. from 1975 to 1976. Felton received a copy of "Project Wheat--Part 1" dated 7/10/75 and "Project Wheat--Part 2" dated 1/30/76 (Project Wheat 1&2).
- Gibb, Robert "Rob" M. (ITC Attorney in Montreal CA)Robert M. Gibb, Esq. was an attorney for Imperial Tobacco, LTD in Montreal, Canada, circa 1973-81
- Green, Sydney James "Jim", Dr. (BATCo R&D Research Director, Southampton)Senior Scientist for the Research and Development Dept. at British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd. in 1975. Deceased as of 1994 (G. Bell LT Waxman 5/16/94). Head of BAT research for 19 years and a member of the board of directors of BAT (Source 3/24/94). Green received a copy of Project Wheat--Part 1 dated 7/1/75 and Project Wheat--Part 2 dated 183076 (Project Wheat 1&2).
- Hughes, Ivor Wallace, Dr. (CEO Brown & Williamson, TI Executive Committee)Ivor Wallace Hughes was The Chief Executive Officer of Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company in 1983, also served on the Tobacco Institute Executive Committee in 1983 and was CTR Director 1/28/83.
- Kruszynski, A.J. (BAT Attorney c. 1975-76)Kruszynski was a attorney for the British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd. in 1975-76. A.J. Kruszynski, Esq., received a copy of Project Wheat-Part 1 dated 7/10/75 and Project Wheat-Part 2 dated 1/30/76 (Project Wheat 1&2).
- Nicholls, R.G., Esq. (BAT Attorney 1975-76)Nicholls was a attorney for British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd. in 1975-76. R. G. Nicholls, Esq. received copy of "Project Wheat-Part 1 dated 7/10/75 and Project Wheat-Part 2 dated 1/30/76 (Project Wheat 1&2).
- Rittershaus, E.
- Sanford, Robert A. (BW RD&E VP, Research Director)
- Seehofer, F. (BATCo Scientist, Germany, c. 1975)
- Wade, R. S. (BW R&D Director)R. S. Wade is a former Research & Development director for Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation. Wade is deceased as of 1994 (G. Bell LT Waxman 5/16/94). Attorney for British-American Tobacco Co. Ltd. (1975-76); "R. S. Wade, Esq." received copy of "Project Wheat--Part 1" dated 7/10/75 and "Project Wheat--Part 2" dated 1/30/76 (Project Wheat 1&2).
- Hypothesis
- Women TargetingCigarettes designed to target women
- Behavior TargetingCigarette's effect of enhancing/mitigating specific behaviors
- Health effectsDesign changes which have measurably altered health effects of cigarette smoke, both for smokers and nonsmokers.
- Measuring human smoking behaviorMeasuring the effects of changes in human smoking behavior on intake of nicotine and smoke constituents.
- Smoking psychology and behavior
- Keyword
- Behavior targeting
- Benefits of Smoking
- Physiological effects
- Psychological effects (Experimental psychology)Perception patterns, inhalation patterns, and effect on delivery
- Satisfaction
- Sensory response
- Smoker behavior (Human smoking behavior)Puff parameters, daily intake, etc.
- Smoking and Health
- Total particulate matter (TPM or Tar)
- Smoke Constituent
- Nicotine
- Total particulate matter
- Operation/Project
- Project Aquarius (De-nicotinized cigarette)Philip Morris plan to produce and market a de-nicotinized cigarette (1989)
- Project Libra
- Named Organization
- England, Gross and Associates Ltd.
- Group Research and Development Center (Research center for BATco in Southampton, England)
- Subject
- Behavioral Effects (Effects)
- health effects
- Test/Smoking Behavior (Testing)
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CIGARETTE SMOKIIIC, I-]~AI,THu AND DISSONANCE
(PROJECT ~ IBRA)
I. INTRODUCTI0}; A~D lff~T}IOD
23.4.1979
AUTHOR: M. Oldman
ISSUED BY: D.J. Wood
PKOG. RE~. 13.02.05
DISTRIBUTION:
Dr. S,J. Green
Dr. I.W. ~igh~s
Dr. R.A. San~ord
R.M. Gibb, Esq.
RoB. Wade~ Esq.
R.G. Nichull~, E~q.
Herz E. Rintezshaus
Dr, F. Seehofer
Mr. A.J. Kr~szynski
Dr. C.J.P, de Siquelra
Dr. D.G. Feltcn
Library
Copy No.
I, 2, 3
4
5, 6
7
B, 9, lO
ii, 12
13
14
15
16
17
IE, 19
coPY NO. ~
Group ~esearch & Develupment Centre,
British-American Tobacco CO. Ltd.,
SOUTHAMPTON.
23rdApril 1979.
CIC/~ETTE ~MDKINC~ ~EALTH, AND DISSONANCE
(p~OJECT LIBRA)
I. INTRODUCTION AbID ~TIIOD
(Report No. 11D.1670 Ke~r{eted)
8U~A~Y
Project LIBRA is a comprehensive quantitative survey undertaken
amcn~ cuTre~t Ci~ar~tt~ smokers~ ~x-smok~ ~d nev~r-s~ok~s i~ the
United Kingdom. The principal oDj~tives ~f the ~search are to
~rpl~rc
(1) the ~ays i~ which Smo~ers~ ex-smokers a~d ~ever-smokers
can be distinguished in terms of their attitudes to health
i~ g~eral, am~ smoking and health in ~articul~
ang (il) th~ indica~ o~ p~y~hological dlffer~nce which b~t predict
the modeCs) of conflict resolution an i~dividual will employ
i~ rela~icn to smoking and concer~ for heal~h.
Th~s report dc~crlh~s thc ~a~gro~nd to the ~tudy, th~ select~o~
oE items £oc inelu~in~ in the qttastionn~ire, and datail~ o~ the ~ampling
an~ administration procedure~ adopted. The results of the da~a anal~ses
will be ~re~en~ed ~ future rep~rt~. ~I
-2-
INTRODUCTION
It is no~ nearly thirty years since Wy~der and Graham reported that
~0hacco smoking "seem~ to be an i~ortan~ £~c~or i~ the i~du~d0~ Of
br~nchloge~ c~re~nom~" (i). $d~ce then a~-~mok~n~ ~amp~gn~ h~ve
U*K. and U.S.A., and other countries, health warnings Save appeared on
~igar~t~e packets, ~moki~g ~ ~er~adn public place~ has been r~8~ric~ed
a~ advertising on televi~io~ ~ ~e~n b~n~d in ~o~ =~untr~e~ ~nd
prohibited al~og~t~r in o~her~. A~ a ~o~quen~e, th~ ~ci~ c~ate
regardi~ ~okin~ h~ chau~ed ~nd it is ~nlikely tn~t anyone in toe
U.k,s ~ l~a~ i8 u~aw~ of ~o~ ~ly Lh~y ~h~uld n~ ~laok~. ~en~s
most ~m0~er~ ~i~h ~o quit ~moking.
Re~ult~ from the ~eee~ Operation Aquarius (2~ have i~di~ated that
more ~h~n ~i~ty ~ercent o~ the U.K. smoker p0pu[atiou ~an ~ described
a~ ~i~on~. T~t i~ t~ey ~re e~per~dng ~e conflict between wh~t
Lh~y ~o ~d ~a~ ~hey bel~eve ~ey ~hould do. ~pe~ifi~ally, the7 w~h
~o step smoking. ~or mo~e £han half of those smoke~ w~o Sad attempted
to ~£v~ up ~mo~ng By h~1~h ~on~er~i
I~ i~ p~s~ible to de~ine ~our gr0~s withi~ a ~mok~ population,
expressed by their h~v~ou~ a~d ~tiLude~ to sm~k~g:
~ig~ly ~onso~a~ - tho~ wh~ ~av~ ~o~ tried ~or wish ~o quit;
Consonant - thcs~ who h~ve tried but ~o ~ot ~o~ish ~ qui~;
~isso~n~ - ~h~s~ who wi~h ~ qui~ buL h~ve ~L tried;
Hd~ly Dissonant - tho~ who wi~h to qui~ and h~ve attempted to do ~o.
650032500
-3-
According to da~-a derived from Operation Aquarlus= the relative
sizes of thes~ segments are as follows:
Highly Consonan= 20%
Consonant 16%
Disson~t 13%
Highly Dissonant 50%
The high/y dissonant smoker is most likely to 5e in the abe range
Z5 to 34 years a~d ~o smoke 15 to 29 clgare~tes per day, In cuuL~ast~
si~ty percent of all highly Consonant smokers are aged ah least ~5 years
and one quarter of them smoke five or les~ cigarettes per d~y.
When asked "~at ,;ere the reasons that made you give ~p?" (ex-smokers),
or ~'~ha~ were the reasons ~hat mad8 you ~ry ~c give up.~'F (smu~eu~)j Lh~
following distribution of responses was obtaineR:
E~-sm~k~s
SMokers
Cost 3~ 43
Health (specific) 35 30
Heal~h (~eneral) 30 g8
O£llcr 9 13
0;~ particular intero~t in =hose data is the apparent dlffcrcncc in
the r~latlve importance of ~ost an~ he~Ith. ~or ~mokers wh~ had fgil~g
to quit, Cost was cited m0s~ often as th~ mo~iva~io~ to at~E~Ipt~ whereas
l~s~ ~-smokcr~ w~rc ~romp~ed by this reason* Th~ obvious in~erpretatlon
o~ ~hi~ finding is cha~ tho~a £o~ who~ quitting i~ ~he only ~isfac~ry
m~ns t~ re~olve the e~n~llct b~tw~e~ ~ok~n~ ~n~ he~Ith cor~ern h~e
A
~Iready done so. Therefore~ ~he difference betwee~ s~oker~ a~nd ex-smokers
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in ~his re4ard, is historical. An alternative hypothesis can, however,
hc advanced: tha~ those who ha~'e attempted to qu~ hug £ail~d, deny the
importance el concern for h~th ~ a ~o~ve ~n or~r to as~L~Ze ~he
dissonance which remains.
Whils~ such a~ hypvthe~is i~ ~11y L~nLaLivu~ iL hi~hlighLs an
important g~p in our le%owled~ of the ~onsum~r: how do~s he rcmaln a
~moher despite the apparently good re~sons her him to stop ~oklng? It
is our contention that all dissonant smokers, and probably some apparently
consonant smokers~ maintain their hehavlour only by making some psychological
adjustments to r~ducc th~ conflict h~tw~e~ smoklm~ an~ Co~c~r~ fo~ h~slth.
It ha~ ~Iready heen suggested tl~t one way of r~dueing conflict is to deny
or devalue the health argument. We would suggest tha~ th£re are at least
llv~ modes ~hr~ugh which s~h a defense may be ~b~ained.
(a) ~ ratlon~li~ing the healt~ i~ue. For exampl~ ~ smoher
may maintain ~hat there is too m~ch ~uss being made about
~he lisks a~Eaehing to smoking~ or ha may assert that "smoking
does not hur~ anyone ~o lo~g as they show no signs of heal~h
problems".
(~) By "statistical" rationalisation of the health issue. This
mode wo~Id he r~lle~tud in agreemczi~ wlch s~ch s£~men~s as;
l'Cigaretto ~moklng only makes it nero likely thnt you %'ould
get an illness you would get anyway" a~d "~4any non-~nokers die
of illnesses that are often said to be CaUSed by smoking
clgaregL~u",
i
Both nodes (a) and (h) share a fatalistic disposition and offer the
rationalization that, through accidents or ageing, people die anywsy .....
-5-
(¢) By modifTimg smohlng heh~v:our. This is a more truly rational
approach and would eli~i~ concordance with such s~a~e~en~ as:
"There is ~oL~Lin~ w--o11~ wiLh ~mokiL~g ~o long as i~ is ~n
~o~er~tlont1~ ~d "Lo~ t~r ~B~ette~ ar~ safer th~n hish
tar ~ig~ettes"~ However, bellef an~ ~tlo~ ma~ no~ ma~h.
Faith in "~er" smoking is pr0b~bly no~ s~ffi~ie~t ~0 re~olve
¢onfli¢~ and would .~eed to ~e ~uppor~ed by appropriate buying
a~d ~onsumption bchaviour t~ be ~ff~tive.
(d) ~y denyln~ th~ authority o~ ~t~mokln$ information. Evidence
from Operatio~ ~q~a~ius (o~,cit°) suggests that smokers ~re l~ss
likely than ~on-smo~ers ~o b~li~v~ "th~ ~hi~gs L|~ ~h¢ ~ovcrnm~nt
say~ about clga~cttc smol~ing and its 9f~¢ct~ on he~ith" ~nd les~
likely ~o a~e~t I~th~ things ~o~t0~s say about cigarette smoki~
arF/ i~s ef£ec~- o.~ healthI' - ~he latter becaus~ do¢~0rs themselves
~k¢ amd "do¢~o~ donTt a~&ys ~ w~th one a~o~h~r".
~ ls not ~ested that th~ ~%ode~ o~ ~onfli~ r~oi~o~ or r~d~tlon
a~e exclusive cr ~n~epende~. Recent Canadian data (3) supports ~h¢
existence of s~veral f~to~ in this ar~a. The fi-~th suggested mode
o£ deai~ wi~h ~cr~flic~ i~ pcrhap~ ~h~ mcs~ ~ionnl and ~ likely to
(e) BY ackn0wled~in~ the risks ~ttache~ to smoking. SUC~ a mode
"smo~£ng might ~ ha_~aful but ~ cannot stop" or "th~ ~njoym¢~
6:
I get from ~m0kii~g is w0r~h any small ri~ks it might involve".
I~ ~he latter case, agre~me~ p~esupposes that ~h~ risks a~e ~'~
genuinely p~rceived ~s I1~m~ll1~ ~r that ~me ~ati~ali~Lio~ ha~
-6-
~or the smoker, ~hese and perhaps other ways o= recon~'illng smokini
with concern for health ~re available and operating ~ingly or in
comhi~tlon, They ar~ h~w~ve~ uusu~i~l, Oth~wi~c~ h~if of Lh~
smoker population w~mid not ~pr~ss th~ wi~h to qui~ h~camse of th~i~
health co~cern. Beceuse len~l, or ~educ~i~n of its fmpcrta~ne, ~s
itself a means of partially resolving conflict, then concern ~or health,
detel~ined solely by direc~ questioning, is likely =o yield am underesnima;e
of its importance ~o some cmolears.
In terms of sustained c~ntinuat~on of smokgni hehavfour, only
twenty percent of ~he current U.K. mmrket can be considered "safe",
that i~ ~hey ar~ highly ~onsonaut, nelLh~r wi~hlni to nor ~'~r hav~zi
attempted tD quit, The i~odiato ~'loss potc~tlal'F of dissonant smokers,
who wish to hut have not yet attempzed to give up smoking, is estimated
at 13~, with a further 5Og hiihly dissonant, who have tried to q~it and
failed ~o far,
~t is 0%,~ v~w that the tr~e loss pot~ntlal is much ~reater than
those waiting to try but tha~ we do no~ have sufficient means of identifying
the long term hehavioural fate of eurxen~ smokers, The pr~sen~ research~
Project LIBRA~ will bclin = prosra~ue to better charae=ariue the smoker
popll~at~o. ~n re]at~on to concPrn ~ hee~th, wh{eh ~men~o~ ~ clearly
one of th~ most influeRtial in the Be~mentati0n of a ConteMporary market.
FROJECT LIBKA
pro~ect LIBRA addresses itself to the folloi~i-ng questions:
l~i what ~-ays can smokers, ax-smokers arid never-smokers he disti~gulshed
in terms of their attitudes Co heal~h in general, and sleohlng a~d
health in particular? (Attitudes to health.)
-7-
2. Which indices of psychological difference best distinguish 5etweea
ingividuals ~ko redl*ee conflict bet~n smoking and h~ith concern
by various mesn3 (such as modifying their smoking behaviour, adopting
variou~ ~ud~ u£ di~so1~auee reduetlon, etu.) and betwee~ ~lese and
successf~l quitters and n~ver-smo~ers? (Individual ~iffer~nces.)
Att~,~e~ tn ~e~Ith
Data obtained from Operati0~ Aquarius indicate that smokers, ex-smokers
and u~v~L-smok~s ~x~r~s~ difi~L~t ~LtlL~d~ toward~ ~moklug ~ud h~alLh° -
For ~xample, 87% o~ ex-smok~ and 89% of never-smoker~ agreed wi~h th~
statement ~hat "e~Ear~tte smmkiug is harmful to health", w~ereas only
7g~ of s~okers a~reed with this assertion. Althaugh the majority of
smokers agree ~i~h ~he proposi~io~ in a general way~ ~hey ar~ le~
~neern~d when a~k~d about the possible effo~t~ o£ ~moking on their own
h~alth. This a~pareut coutradietlo~ is a f~rther reflection of cognitive
dissonance (4).
In a re~ent market segmentatio~ study carried out in Canada (3)s
fcu= meier se~nents o~ the ~mok~r population were id~n~ifiGd. Concern
for health, or lack of it, was a major differentiating feature for each
of the segments. Members o~ Eke largest segment appear to have resolved
their conflict 5y modifying their smoking behavlour. Such eonsu~rs
:m
w~re found to more of~em want a Io~ tar and nicotln~ product, perceive
mildness ~o be of greater importance, to smoke fewer cigarettes, and to
generally present a ~or~ health conscious profile. In terms of a soeio- M~
~conomi¢ index they ~re classified ms predominantly medlum-hlgh to high.
An ~lmoat diametrically opposed segment was ~lso r~vealed, comprising-
about 25% oi all ~anadiam smokers. High imner mead motivation, a decided
lack of conceri~ ab~n:C tas and nieuuine, a high smoking volu~e, a
-8-
requlrement for a strong proguet~ a~d a low level of health concern
ehnraeterlsed this group. TheF were predominantly'young and male and
proportionately more represented in tile medium-low to low .~o~io-
econou~e ~roup.
~rom the --o~going, two important points srise. Firstly, overt
queszio~ing about smoking a~i health concern differentiates smoke~s,
ex-$mokers and never-smokers and, within the smoker populatio~ has
an important role to play in segmenting a ¢o~t~porary market. Secondly,
questions abou~ hsalth have hitherto always bee~ linked ~ith smoking
hehavlour with no attempt being made to view expressions sf concern
about specific health issues (i.e. related to smoking) in a wider context
of ~eneral attitudes t~ healtk. Coulg it heI for ex~/n~le~ that non-smoke~s
are, as a group, mor~ generally conscious of their health and physical
well-being ~ha~ smokers?
Because we doubt that for ~onle smokers~ real concern for health
ds adequately reflected in their answers ~e specific smoking and health
questions, {t is azl important a~pect of this study ~o aompar~ general
a~ti~des to health getwae~ smokers, ex-s~okers a~d never-s~okers. This
will puovlde a COilte~z in whluh £u ~udge ~p~uifi~ e~pie~bluns r~a=dlu~
smoking ~ health. Fur~ker~ore, it ~ilh be impor~&nt to gete~ne
~hether, for example, consonant and dissonant smokers ~re dlfferentiahle
in t~rms of general a~tltudes to health. We might ~pect tha~ the
rat£ona!~ 6on~on~t smoker is likely to ha%-e a fatallstlc attitude to
health gene.~&lly~ ~hereas the ~isso~l~ ~moker~ gepen6g~g ~po~ his
partleular mode of conflict reduction, ~ight have a more "arc<ious"
.perception of his well-being. Comparisons between smokers and ex-smokers
, )
