The personality of the cigarette smoker: some empirical data

Smokers and nonsmokers are compared in terms of (1) psychological needs, (2) self-descriptions, (3) self-esteem, (4) academic achievement in high school and college, and (5) marijuana use. On the EPPS smokers scored significantly higher on the needs for Autonomy (p less than .01), Change (p less than .02) and Heterosexuality (p less than .05), while nonsmokers scored higher on the needs for Achievement (p less than .05), Deference (p less than .001), and Order (p less than .001). Smokers rated themselves as being more sociable (p less than .05), while nonsmokers rated themselves as being more careful (p less than .05) and reliable (p less than .05). While the two groups did not differ on a measure of self-esteem, smokers were found to have lower grades in high school (p less than .05) and college (p less than .01) and to be more likely (p less than .0001) to use marijuana. These findings are compared to the results of previous studies and the need for future research is discussed.