In determining factors that contribute to motivation to smoke, a logical approach is trying to determine what contingencies operate before a smoker lights up, but it also seems logical that smokers may be motivated to smoke because they desire a certain effect after smoking, even if the effect is brief (or in terms of the power of intermittent reinforcement, nonexistent) most of the time. In fact, Kassel, Stroud, and Paronis (2003) make a conceptual distinction between negative mood serving as an antecedent versus a consequence of smoking. In a study using electronic diaries, Beckham and colleagues (2007) found smokers reported a significant reduction in craving after smoking, and smokers with posttraumatic stress disorder also reported decreased negative mood. Therefore, an important piece of the negative affect puzzle may lie in negative mood and craving ratings taken immediately after smoking. Given reports by Kassel et al. (2003) and Beckham et al. (2007) we predict that smokers will report decreases in negative mood and craving immediately after smoking compared with immediately before smoking and at random times of day.
