Smoking: Decisional Balance (Long Form)
The following statements represent different opinions about smoking. Please rate HOW IMPORTANT each statement is to your decision to smoke according to the following five point scale.
1 = Not important
2 = Slightly important
3 = Moderately important
4 = Very important
5 = Extremely important
1. | Smoking cigarettes is pleasurable. | |
2. | My smoking affects the health of others. | |
3. | I like the image of a cigarette smoker. | |
4. | Others close to me would suffer if I became ill from smoking. | |
5. | I am relaxed and therefore more pleasant when smoking. | |
6. | Because I continue to smoke, some people I know think I lack the character to quit. | |
7. | If I try to stop smoking I’ll be irritable and a pain to be around. | |
8. | Smoking cigarettes is hazardous to my health. | |
9. | My family and friends like me better when I am happily smoking than when I am miserably trying to quit. | |
10. | I’m embarrassed to have to smoke. | |
11. | I like myself better when I smoke. | |
12. | My cigarette smoking bothers other people. | |
13. | Smoking helps me concentrate and do better work. | |
14. | People think I’m foolish for ignoring the warnings about cigarette smoking. | |
15. | Smoking cigarettes relieves tension. | |
16. | People close to me disapprove of my smoking. | |
17. | By continuing to smoke I feel I am making my own decisions. | |
18. | I’m foolish to ignore the warnings about cigarettes. | |
19. | After not smoking for a while a cigarette makes me feel great. | |
20. | I would be more energetic right now if I didn’t smoke. |
Scoring
PROS | 1,3,5,7,9,11,13,15,17,19 (odd numbers) |
CONS | 2,4,6,8,10,12,14,16,18,20 (even numbers) |
References
Velicer, W.F., Diclemente C. C., Prochaska J. O., & Brandenburg N. (1985). Decisional balance measure for assesing and predicting smoking status. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48, 1279-1289.