Orienting bias towards electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) cues

IF 3.3 Q1 Psychology

Addictive Behaviors Reports Pub Date : 2026-06-01 Epub Date: 2025-12-10 DOI:10.1016/j.abrep.2025.100649

Sojung Youn, Brian A. Anderson

{"title":"Orienting bias towards electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) cues","authors":"Sojung Youn, Brian A. Anderson","doi":"10.1016/j.abrep.2025.100649","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Abnormal attentional biases for tobacco cues have been observed in the dot-probe task. With a recent increase in electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use, researchers have investigated the effect of ENDS use on early and later stages of attentional bias. Studies have provided support for later-stage attentional biases among ENDS users but not an orienting bias, which may be difficult to detect with smaller sample sizes, and due to low reliability. The present study tested orienting bias among young adult ENDS users and nonusers to ENDS-related images using a modified dot-probe task.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>A total of 224 participants were assigned to an ENDS user group (<em>n</em> = 110) or a control group (<em>n</em> = 114) following their history of ENDS use. A modified version of the dot-probe task was used where a rotated target letter (“T”) appeared shortly after image (ENDS-related and neutral) offset, requiring a directional response.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The ENDS group exhibited a significantly larger ENDS-related orienting bias compared to the control group in response time and accuracy. A habituation effect was also observed, with the ENDS-related attentional bias being restricted for the first epoch of trials. Consistent with previous studies, the ENDS-related attentional bias exhibited low internal reliability.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>A significant but short-lived orienting bias towards ENDS-related cues in ENDS users was observed. Similar to other substances of abuse, ENDS use affects early-stage attentional processes. Our findings also suggest ways to more robustly measure such early-stage attentional biases in ENDS users.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38040,"journal":{"name":"Addictive Behaviors Reports","volume":"23 ","pages":"Article 100649"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3000,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Addictive Behaviors Reports","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352853225000677","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/12/10 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"Psychology","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Abnormal attentional biases for tobacco cues have been observed in the dot-probe task. With a recent increase in electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) use, researchers have investigated the effect of ENDS use on early and later stages of attentional bias. Studies have provided support for later-stage attentional biases among ENDS users but not an orienting bias, which may be difficult to detect with smaller sample sizes, and due to low reliability. The present study tested orienting bias among young adult ENDS users and nonusers to ENDS-related images using a modified dot-probe task.

Method

A total of 224 participants were assigned to an ENDS user group (n = 110) or a control group (n = 114) following their history of ENDS use. A modified version of the dot-probe task was used where a rotated target letter (“T”) appeared shortly after image (ENDS-related and neutral) offset, requiring a directional response.

Results

The ENDS group exhibited a significantly larger ENDS-related orienting bias compared to the control group in response time and accuracy. A habituation effect was also observed, with the ENDS-related attentional bias being restricted for the first epoch of trials. Consistent with previous studies, the ENDS-related attentional bias exhibited low internal reliability.

Conclusions

A significant but short-lived orienting bias towards ENDS-related cues in ENDS users was observed. Similar to other substances of abuse, ENDS use affects early-stage attentional processes. Our findings also suggest ways to more robustly measure such early-stage attentional biases in ENDS users.

查看原文本刊更多论文

取向偏向电子尼古丁传递系统（ENDS）线索

背景在点探测任务中观察到烟草线索的异常注意偏倚。随着电子尼古丁传递系统（ENDS）使用的增加，研究人员调查了电子尼古丁传递系统使用对早期和后期注意偏差的影响。研究已经为终端用户的后期注意偏差提供了支持，但没有为定向偏差提供支持，定向偏差在样本量较小且可靠性较低的情况下可能难以检测。本研究使用改进的点探测任务测试了年轻成年终端用户和非终端用户对终端相关图像的定向偏差。方法根据受试者使用ENDS的历史，将224名受试者分为ENDS用户组（n = 110）和对照组（n = 114）。使用了一个改进版本的点探测任务，其中旋转的目标字母（“T”）在图像（与ends相关的和中性的）偏移后不久出现，需要定向响应。结果与对照组相比，ENDS组在反应时间和准确性方面表现出更大的与ENDS相关的定向偏倚。习惯效应也被观察到，在试验的第一个阶段，与end相关的注意偏倚受到限制。与以往的研究一致，与end相关的注意偏倚表现出较低的内部信度。结论：在终端使用者中观察到对终端相关线索的显著但短暂的定向偏倚。与其他滥用物质类似，使用ENDS会影响早期的注意力过程。我们的研究结果还提出了更有效地测量终端用户早期注意偏差的方法。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Addictive Behaviors Reports Medicine-Psychiatry and Mental Health

CiteScore

6.80

自引率

0.00%

发文量

审稿时长

71 days

期刊介绍： Addictive Behaviors Reports is an open-access and peer reviewed online-only journal offering an interdisciplinary forum for the publication of research in addictive behaviors. The journal accepts submissions that are scientifically sound on all forms of addictive behavior (alcohol, drugs, gambling, Internet, nicotine and technology) with a primary focus on behavioral and psychosocial research. The emphasis of the journal is primarily empirical. That is, sound experimental design combined with valid, reliable assessment and evaluation procedures are a requisite for acceptance. We are particularly interested in ''non-traditional'', innovative and empirically oriented research such as negative/null data papers, replication studies, case reports on novel treatments, and cross-cultural research. Studies that might encourage new lines of inquiry as well as scholarly commentaries on topical issues, systematic reviews, and mini reviews are also very much encouraged. We also welcome multimedia submissions that incorporate video or audio components to better display methodology or findings.