SAMPLE ANNOTATION

Nymh, S. D. (1983). Smoking withdrawal as a function of locus of control. Journal of Experimental
        Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 14, 257-265.

        This article examines the success rate of smokers trying to quit smoking. It is concerned with the effects of locus of control (a personality trait) and two different smoking-cessation techniques on the success rates in quitting smoking. Individuals in the study were classified into two groups, as having either an external locus of control (believing their lives and actions were primarily shaped by external agents) or an internal locus (where one's self is seen as the primary agent of control).

         The two types of smoking-cessation techniques differed in the way subjects kept records of their progress. Half of each group received a daily phone call from a staff member who asked them to record their smoking rate on a progress chart. The other half were responsible for filling out their own charts without a phone call. It was hypothesized that externals would be affected by the supportive phone call more than would internals. This is because the behavior of internals is relatively less dependent on the behaviors of external agents; hence, external support should be less important in helping internals "kick the habit".

        The results supported this hypothesis. All internals were quite successful at quitting, regardless of the smoking-cessation technique used. However, for externals, only those receiving the phone call were successful. Those not receiving the phone call quickly began smoking once more.

        This result indicates that, as the author originally hypothesized, the externals were affected by the supportive phone call, whereas the the behavior of the internals did not depend on an external prop like the phone call. The broader implication is that personality is an important variable to consider in constructing and evaluating smoking cessation programs. Psychologists should not expect to find a single best program for everyone. This study shows that locus of control is a personality variable that must be considered in designing smoking-cessation programs for individuals. It seems likely that there are other such variables that are as yet undiscovered.