Disgust but not Health Anxiety Graphic Warning Labels Reduce Motivated Attention in Smokers: A Study of P300 and Late Positive Potential Responses

摘要

Background: Graphic health warning labels (GHWLs) on tobacco products attempt to leverage avoidance-promoting emotions, such as anxiety and disgust, to encourage cessation. Prior studies have relied on self-report or attentional metrics that may not accurately illuminate GHWLs' ability to motivate change. This report evaluates the impact of disgust-and anxiety-based GHWLs on electroencephalograph (EEG) measures of motivated attention among two groups of smokers-those that report higher versus lower cigarette dependence. We hypothesized that both anxiety and disgust GHWLs would reduce appetitive attention, as indexed by lowered P300 (P3) and late positive potential (LPP) activations.