Looming Vulnerability and Smoking Cessation Attempts

Almost one-fifth of US adults are current cigarette smokers. To make further progress in lowering prevalence, it would help to increase the proportion of smokers attempting to quit. This application tests a novel approach to motivating smokers to quit, based on an empirically supported theory of anxiety. The approach uses guided imagery to increase smokers' sense of urgency about preventing the negative health consequences of smoking.