Effect of cigarettes on memory search and subjective ratings.

The effects of smoking a nicotine versus a nonnicotine cigarette on performance on Sternberg's memory search task and subjective ratings were examined. Testing sessions were undertaken both before and after a period of 24 hours' abstinence in occasional and regular smokers. Memory search rate was significantly faster after the nicotine cigarette than the nonnicotine cigarette. No significant difference in search rate was found between the results from occasional and regular smokers, and between the effect of a cigarette before and after the period of abstinence. The regular smokers inhaled more smoke from the nicotine and nonnicotine cigarettes than did the occasional smokers, but the amount of smoke inhaled from the test cigarettes did not change significantly from pre- to postabstinence. The nicotine cigarette produced stronger dizziness, tremor and palpitations than the nonnicotine cigarette, the more so after abstinence than before in the regular smokers. The results indicate that smoking a cigarette can produce subjective effects and performance improvements in regular and occasional smokers during the course of normal smoking, and that some subjective effects can be greater after abstinence.