'I'm better off now': the role of temporal comparisons and exposure evaluations in smoking cessation.

Two new psychological concepts related to relapse in smoking cessation were tested. 'Temporal comparisons' are ex-smokers' evaluations of their present situation compared to their situation as a smoker. 'Exposure evaluations' are evaluations of situations ex-smokers encountered when they used to smoke. In a cohort study among 323 ex-smokers, both concepts significantly predicted relapse after six months. Moreover, the relationship between temporal comparisons and relapse was mediated by exposure evaluations. In addition, this relationship also depended on self-efficacy; particularly when self-efficacy was low, temporal comparisons predicted relapse. These data provide new theoretical and practical perspectives to relapse.