The results of this study should be interpreted in light of the following considerations. First, the sample size was small for a clinical trial, limiting the number of participants in the EOT group status between-subjects categorization and reducing our ability to detect group differences. Second, the study only evaluated relapse symptoms out to 2 weeks postquit. This allowed for an examination of short-term withdrawal, and could have magnified differences that might not be present at later time points. Third, assignment to the relapser or abstainers groups was by participant self-selection, which could have led smokers with greater withdrawal symptoms (negative affect and craving) to fall out of treatment and become relapsers. The result could be that the remaining abstainers are simply those who experience less intense withdrawal symptoms compared to relapsers (Gilbert et al., 2002).
