Smokers tend to choose immediate reward of small magnitude and discount delayed reward of larger magnitude in Delay Discounting Models (DD). However, little is known about temporal choice of appetitive and aversive consequences among smokers who seek to quit smoking. DD was examined in a task of hypothetical monetary gains and losses in smokers (n = 20), smokers seeking treatment (n = 20) and non-smokers, who also answered the Fagerström Tolerance Questionnaire, and ASSIST. Smokers showed a greater DD than non-smokers in the appetitive condition (but not aversive). DD in smokers on treatment to quit was not different from remaining groups, and showed an intermediate DD. These smokers seeking treatment might either be a less impulsive subgroup of smokers or the decision to quit smoking reduced DD. DD might be an outcome predictor in smoking cessation treatment.
smoking; decision-making; smokers
