Finally, analyses were conducted to determine if these findings reflected genuine group differences or if they simply reflected participants’ smoking status (i.e., smoking or not smoking) at any given time. First, we included all participants (controls, abstainers, never-quitters, and relapsers) and conducted one analysis for each postcessation time point. For each analysis, we examined the effect of smoking status (i.e., smoking or not smoking) and stimulus valence on startle response. We found neither significant main effect for smoking status nor significant interaction effect between smoking status and stimulus valence. Second, we included only participants in the treatment group (abstainers, never-quitters, and relapsers) and conducted one analysis for each postcessation time point. For each analysis, we examined the effect of smoking status (i.e., smoking or not smoking) and stimulus valence on startle response. We failed to find either significant main effect for smoking status or significant interaction effect between smoking status and stimulus valence.
