Investigating psychophysiological and self-report responses to antioral nicotine pouch social media videos.

Abstract

Objective: This study examines young adult oral nicotine pouch (ONP) users' cognitive and emotional responses to user-generated antioral nicotine pouch (a-ONP) TikTok (a video-based social media platform) videos varying in the presence and absence of disgust-eliciting content.

Method: One hundred and two young adult ONP users were exposed to a TikTok simulation that contained user-generated a-ONP TikTok videos. Participants' psychophysiological responses were recorded while participants viewed the TikTok simulations. Self-reported craving, behavioral intentions to use ONPs, perceived harm reduction, arousal, and negative emotional valence were measured at baseline and post TikTok simulation exposure.

Results: In support of the negativity bias hypothesis, the psychophysiological data indicated that a-ONP TikTok videos present in disgust-eliciting content led to increased negative emotional valence, arousal, and greater second-by-second attention versus a-ONP TikTok videos absent in disgust-eliciting content. Self-reported outcomes revealed a decrease in behavioral intentions to use ONPs for a-ONP TikTok videos present in disgust-eliciting content versus those absent in disgust-eliciting content. Craving, behavioral intentions to use ONPs, and perceived harm reduction of ONPs decreased after exposure to a-ONP TikTok videos present in disgust-eliciting content when compared to participants' baseline reports.

Discussion: User-generated a-ONP TikTok videos with disgust-eliciting content that were presented in a natural TikTok simulation led to effective message outcomes reflected by increased attention and self-reported outcomes. This study extends future opportunities to identify other potential message content used on social media to reduce ONP use and demonstrates the validity of viewing a-ONP TikTok videos in a natural media context. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).