Interestingly, while we found an interaction between the 5-HTTLPR gene and nicotine nasal spray, we did not find an interaction between the 5-HTTLPR gene, nasal spray, and deprivation as hypothesized. We also failed to find the hypothesized interaction with these terms and slide valence. However, when genotype is not accounted for, interactions between nicotine nasal spray and deprivation as well as deprivation and slide valence were observed in the analysis of the entire sample (Cinciripini et al., 2006; Robinson et al., 2003). Results of this analysis suggest that alterations in appetitive or defensive motivation by nicotine, given a particular genotype (i.e., l/l) are more global and not specific to the processing of certain cues, (i.e. negative stimuli) or observable only when smokers are deprived. Though this study found no differences in the relationship of the startle response to genotype between the two racial groups, it is possible that a larger sample size and more power might have revealed additional significant interactions that might have distinguished the two groups. For example, there appeared to be a similar trend among the s/s
