Expectancy processes in cognitive enhancement by nicotine

Cognitive enhancement is reported as a motive for smoking (Gilbert, Sharpe, Ramanaiah, Detwiler, & Anderson, 2000). Cognitive enhancement by nicotine, as well as affective processes, may be mediated and moderated by expectancies about nicotine, as seen in the placebo effect. To investigate this phenomenon, abstinent smokers smoked either nicotine or denicotinized cigarettes. Nicotine dose was crossed with varying instructions that the cigarette would either enhance or impair performance in a 2 X 2 factorial design. Performance, mood, somatic and nicotine withdrawal effects were assessed. Daily cigarette smokers reported changes in their beliefs about nicotine's effects on performance consistent with response expectancy manipulations. Both nicotine content and the expectancy manipulation affected participants' perceptions of the cigarette. Nicotine given to abstinent regular smokers led to an increase in RVIP sensitivity. Results suggest that expectancy manipulations should be further investigated for treatment implications, as well as for relevance to studies of drug effects.