Basic HTML Version
362
G.J. HYMAN et al.
220
160
:
F40
2 120
0
=
100
-I
:
10 C 80
2
”
0 ._
if
60
40
20
Not Smoking
l
L
1
1
Pre
Post
Fig. 3. Thiocyanate levels at baseline and three-month follow-up for the focussed smoking
group.
A comparison of the overall abstinence rates at the follow-up periods, considering
the drop-outs as failures (which would be the most logical conclusion), showed the
treatment techniques of this study to have a similar success rate to that of previous
studies (Hunt & Bespalec, 1974). Further, a comparison between the groups on smok-
ing rates indicates that the rates of smoking cessation of the experimental groups are
significantly different from that of the control group. This is consistent with the previ-
ous literature, which showed that treatment is more successful than no treatment.
No support was found for the claim of Hackett and Horan (1978) that focussed
smoking is a successful alternative to rapid smoking. Based on the percentage abstinent
at the follow-up periods (see Figure l), this treatment was only slightly better than the
attention placebo treatment. Further, the effectiveness of the hypnotic procedure was
not supported. Again, only minimal differences in smoking cessation were found be-
tween the hypnosis treatment group and the attention placebo group. These findings
suggest that the active treatment effects in smoking cessation programmes are not as
significant as many of the researchers have implied. Simple contact with a smoker,
whether it involves treatment or not and an expectation of success, would appear to
successfully modify smoking behaviour.
A number of points concerning the present study must be made. Firstly, the sample