UF professor's study named article of the year

July 17, 2014

GAINESVILLE, Fla. --- A University of Florida professor’s article on quitting smoking has been named the best of the year by one of the nation’s leading behavioral psychology journals.

The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis recognized Jesse Dallery’s paper “Internet-based contingency management to promote smoking cessation: A randomized controlled study” at its international convention in May. Dallery, a UF professor of psychology, evaluated the efficacy of using an online, voucher-based program to help people stop smoking.

About 80 participants recorded themselves on webcam taking carbon monoxide breath tests for about two months. They were divided into two groups: One received monetary vouchers just for participating, and the other was rewarded if they smoked less.

“We saw big differences between the groups,” Dallery said. “There was more than a doubling in terms of rates of abstinence in the treatment group compared to the control.”

Dallery and his research team did not, however, see much long-term impact three and six months after the study’s conclusion. Figuring out how to sustain the progress is their next challenge.

“Smoking is an enduring pattern, and we really need more enduring treatment to redirect that behavior,” Dallery said.