The Popularity of Cigarette Smoking

Cigarette smoking has existed in the popular mainstream culture for decades. Fifty years ago most people were not aware of the deleterious effects of smoking because the media popularized the Marlboro Man as the masculine ideal and marketed thinner and more feminine-looking cigarettes to women. Over the past several decades, however, warning labels on all cigarette packages and more consumer information has increased the public’s awareness of smoking’s negative effects. Despite all the warnings and research findings, however, many people still purchase and smoke cigarettes.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/labels.aspx

After reading article called “New Labels, New Attitudes?,” in the American Psychological Association Monitor, consider the questions below. Then submit your responses.

Question 1

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Question 2

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Question 3

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Question 4

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What were the results of the Health Psychology study on smoking, in 2009?
Answers will vary. One possibility: Researchers found that smokers had less activity in attention-related brain areas when they switched from looking at scary images to looking at different, target, images than when they switched from neutral images to target images, suggesting that smokers may ignore the scary warning labels on cigarette packages. Warnings become less effective for smokers because they may react defensively and discount the warning.

Question 5

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Answers will vary. One possibility: When Thailand moved from text-only warnings to large graphic warnings individuals reported thinking more about the health risks of smoking and quitting smoking in general.

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