Effects of smoking on heart rate, anxiety, and feelings of success during social interaction.

The effects of smoking on heart rate (HR) and emotional processes during social interactions were assessed in 12 smokers. Smoking was associated with less anxiety and with enhanced feelings of being successful both in changing the opinions of others and in expressing one's own point of view. These findings are consistent with others in the literature. The increase in HR during social interactions in which the participants smoked was similar in magnitude to the HR increase associated with speaking versus listening during conversation. The effects of smoking and social interaction on HR appeared to be additive. Smoking during the social interaction increased HR only about half as much as is typically reported for smokers seated quietly in nonsocial situations.