Internet-based self-tailored deposit contracts to promote smoking reduction and abstinence

Abstract

Deposit contracting may reduce costs and increase efficacy in contingency management interventions. We evaluated two Internet-based deposit contract arrangements for smoking. In Experiment 1, nine participants deposited self-selected amounts that could be earned back for meeting goals. During treatment, participants were reimbursed for breath samples with less than or equal to 6 parts per million carbon monoxide and met the criterion for 47% of samples compared to 1% during baseline. In Experiment 2, 10 participants' deposits were matched up to $50. No samples met the criterion during baseline but 41.5% met it during treatment. The average deposit was $82 in Experiment 1 and $49 in Experiment 2. Participants rated the intervention favorably and sample submission rates were high. These experiments suggest that Internet-based self-tailored deposits are acceptable, feasible, and can promote brief reduction and abstinence in some smokers. Future research should investigate individual and intervention factors that affect long-term cessation and uptake of deposit contracts.

Keywords: contingency management; deposit contracting; incentives; smoking; technology.

© 2017 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Figures

Figure 1

Individual carbon monoxide (CO) levels in parts per million (ppm) across phases (Experiment 1). B = baseline, R = reducing, A = abstaining. Horizontal lines indicate reducing and abstaining goals. Note: BB001 experienced an equipment failure on Day 4 of reducing, creating a delay. He elected to restart the study procedures after a brief baseline probe.

Figure 2

Percentage of carbon monoxide (CO) samples meeting the less than or equal to 6 parts per million (ppm) cutoff across experimental phases for Experiment 1 (A) and Experiment 2 (B). Each dot represents data for a different participant. Horizontal lines represent the means.

Figure 3

Treatment acceptability scores for Experiment 1(A) and Experiment 2 (B). Each dot represents data for a different participant. Horizontal lines represent the means. Responses were given on a visual analog scale ranging from 0–100 with anchors at 10, 30, 50, 70, and 90 corresponding with those on the y-axis. D = deposit.

Figure 4

Individual carbon monoxide (CO) levels in parts per million (ppm) across phases (Experiment 2). B = baseline, R = reducing, A = abstaining. Horizontal lines indicate reducing and abstaining goals.