Cigarette Smoking Motives: Factorial Structure and Gender Differences in a Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Research investigating the factorial structure of cigarette smoking motives (based on the Horn-Waingrow Smoking Survey) suggests considerable similarity in factor structure across different samples as well as stability of structure in repeated assessments. This study evaluates the replicability of six commonly found Horn-Waingrow factors in a sample of 109 men and women from three longitudinal studies and also reports on gender and other psychosocial differences. Principal component analyses exactly replicated previously reported factors, separately for each gender. Significant gender differences in level are shown for two smoking motives (Reduction of Negative Affect and Pleasure): Women more than men report that they smoke for these reasons. Also, there are significant differences in motives between current and former smokers and between smokers with and without smoking spouses.