On the nature of nicotine dependence: A taxometric analysis

Katherine Cern Goedeker, Purdue University

Abstract

Although DSM and ICD propose that dependence is a category of smoking behavior distinct from nondependent smoking, the majority of contemporary scientific theories maintain that smokers do not fall into categories, but rather vary quantitatively in their degree of dependence. This is the first investigation to implement taxometric procedures to determine whether tobacco dependence is best conceptualized as a dimensional or categorical (i.e., taxonic) phenomena. A sample consisting of individuals age 18 or older who reported smoking at least one cigarette in the past 30 days (n = 11,441) on the 2003 National Survey of Drug Use and Health was used in the analyses. Data from the 2002 NSDUH (n = 11,265) were also analyzed as a replication of the 2003 NSDUH results. Results from the MAMBAC, MAXEIG, and LMODE taxometric analyses provided strong evidence across both years of survey data that tobacco dependence has a taxonic latent structure. The indicators used to reveal the dependence taxon were latency to first cigarette upon waking, average number of cigarettes smoked per day, and the Drive, Tolerance, and Continuity composite scores from the Nicotine Dependence Symptom Scale (NDSS; Shiffman et al., 2004). The median base rate of the nicotine dependence taxon as estimated by the taxometric analyses across the two years of survey data was 0.478.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Rollock, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Psychotherapy|Psychological tests

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