Assessing the feasibility of using contingency management to modify cigarette smoking by adolescents.
A simple point system can start short smoke-free spans in teens.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team used a token economy to help teen smokers quit.
Kids earned points each time breath tests showed no smoking.
Points bought gift cards, snacks, and fun activities.
The study ran as a single-case experiment.
What they found
Most teens stayed smoke-free during the program.
The authors call the method generally successful.
Contingency management started and held brief abstinence.
How this fits with other research
Frederiksen et al. (1978) also shaped smoking, but with adults and simple instructions.
They cut toxic puff size without quitting.
Roll (2005) shows money-based tokens can push full teen abstinence, not just safer puffs.
Raiff et al. (2025) extends the idea to phones.
They lock then unlock apps instead of handing out vouchers.
Two-thirds of adults liked the phone twist, proving CM still grows.
Why it matters
You can swap vouchers for any teen-approved reinforcer.
Try gift cards, game time, or late-night phone passes.
Track breath or cotinine, deliver points fast, and watch brief quit streaks grow.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Many smokers initiate this dangerous behavior during adolescence. This report describes a contingency management intervention designed to initate and maintain a period of abstinence from cigarettes by adolescent smokers. Results suggest that the intervention was generally successful and that further investigation of this topic is warranted.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 2005 · doi:10.1901/jaba.2005.114-04