If you want to stop smoking, you need to know about the associative learning
As I discussed in other articles, driving force is not the cigarette smoke / nicotine. The only thing that keeps a person who smokes is the psychological mechanism of smoking. The basis of this mechanism is set consciously by smokers start at an early age. However, it is reinforced over the years by associative learning.
In this article I will explain how the smoker uses associative learning to enhance the psychological mechanism smokers who in turn makes it difficult to stop smoking.
The history of associative learning
The concept of associative learning was discovered by the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. He began research on the gastric function of dogs, but in consideration of the salivary secretion, he discovered that saliva flowed before the food was presented. Finding this more interesting, he has renounced the research and explored gastric phenomenon.
He concluded that it could trigger a physical reaction, eg the flow of saliva, by pairing a neutral stimulus active with the stimulus, in this case, food. The stimulus was rated as neutral as it was used a bell. (Remember the bell at the old dinner?) After pairing the bell with food, finally, just ring the bell caused the saliva to flow. Thus was born the concept of psychological classical conditioning.
Common examples of classical conditioning
Before entering the various modes of associative learning enhances the psychological mechanism of smokers, I want to give some examples every day that apply to both smokers and non-smokers.
Most people go to the theater or sit to watch their favorite program on television, which is one of the first snacks they think? Popcorn!
By advertising both in theater and television (remember Jiffy Pop? How about Orville Redenbacher with his red bow tie?), Popcorn became a partner enjoying a movie or TV show. The aroma hot, buttered popcorn theater welcomes the viewer as they enter the building. You have to walk right past concessions to arrive at the cinema. If this does not prevent you from buying the ads before the show to promote the purchase and many people get up and go buy popcorn. Because of this programming and subsequent associative learning, for many people, when they sit down looking for something nice at home, make popcorn is part of the process. This is an example of associative learning. Qualities taste and smell to enhance the desire to buy or make popcorn to enjoy the show!
The more you love the movie or television show, more liaison with popcorn. This is because it adds the power of emotion and the taste and smell.
An example of a little different from associative learning is provided by the following example.
Suppose that when you were young, your parents owned a blue Toyota. This car has been used to transport you that you enjoyed. Perhaps they have kept this car for a number of years. When they have a new car, like most people, they bought the same brand. Thus, over time, you begin to involve your parents with cars Toyota. In adulthood, whenever you see a Toyota, you have ideas for your parents.
Of course, it does not take much time to this type of association to develop if there is a lot of emotion behind it. Suppose you fall madly in love with someone and they drive a Mustang. Soon, every time you see a Mustang, you think of the person you love. This associative learning!
All these examples show how associative learning works. You have a neutral stimulus, such as a car brand, go to the theater for a movie or a show favorite television as a football match, paired with something you love. In the case of corn, it tastes good and food, it is rewarding. In the case of car brands, the people we love the hunt. So when you see the car or go to the theater, it brings good feelings provided by what we love. This mechanism makes smoking strong psychological mechanism.
When you learn to smoke
Nobody takes just a cigarette and starts smoking. It is a learning process that is unfortunate. However, there are a lot of motivation to smoke and the person with sticks until they "learn" to smoke. This means course use their minds to unlock the protection mechanisms that the body uses to alert you when something dangerous is entered in your body. In this cases, heat, pollution, smoke, chemicals in the delicate lung tissues that were designed solely for air quality. They create the foundation of smoking psychological mechanism.
It is so difficult to smoke each cigarette smoker requires actively suppressing their mechanisms defense agency. Since smoking is truly an arduous, the smoker is looking for ways to justify the extreme effort to smoke each cigarette. Here the associative learning takes place. unconsciously, the smoker is looking for positive things to pair with the act of smoking. Use of associative learning, the smoker begins to attribute positive qualities of an event or the act of smoking, and over time, the smoking attributes these qualities to smoking. These associations provide rationalizations for smoking. Lets look at some common examples.
Smoking and Coffee
If the smoker is a coffee drinker, you can be sure that the cigarette will be part of the process. A perfect example of this is in the film, "Walk Do not Run" with Carey Grant and Samantha Eggar. In a scene that morning, a friend who carpool to work with the character Eggar to arrive early and there is extra time to chat, she offers a cup of coffee. The friend said she would like another cup of coffee and a cigarette! This film was released in 1966, when approximately 44% of the U.S. population smoked.
Coffee by itself is a very powerful drink. Much people use caffeine as a pick me up and many people drink coffee after the meal (Just think how many times you are offered a cup of coffee after meal in a restaurant). The cafe became a partner to help digestion! Is it really? Well, long ago, I had some tests of gastrointestinal execution. Before the X-rays were taken, the doctor told me if I liked coffee, thinking about it because it causes my juices digestive flow. Yes, coffee is a powerful drink.
So what happens when you combine the powerful effects of coffee with a cigarette?. When you drink coffee, it produces its powerful effects, either by caffeine buzz or stimulate digestion. Add to smoking and over time, it is attributed the effects actually produced by the coffee. Smoking is not really one of the things that coffee is only in seeking to justify the use Tobacco psychological mechanism, the price of coffee qualities smokers to cigarettes. Qualities of a cigarette does not win.
The Smoking and sex
Probably the most powerful drive in humans is sexual desire. There are many psychological and physiological reasons why it is so. sexual fulfillment is a powerful force for males and females. It is not surprising that the smoker works to associate this powerful positive performance by smoking later.
contemporary films are a good indicator of current trends. I said "Walk, Do not Run "earlier in this article as an example of the cigarette with coffee. A more recent film that demonstrated the association of smoking after sex comedy was "Zapped" with Scott Biao, released in 1982.
In this film, in a school, a laboratory accident gives a nerd, telekinetic powers shy student and chaos naturally follows. The exceptional gives him confidence to do things he would not do otherwise, as the approach the girl he had a crush on, but afraid to speak. The new confidence led to him having sex with his girlfriend in the laboratory and He then uses his telekinetic powers to recover and light two cigarettes they smoke at once.
It is a powerful message. Someone with strong paranormal abilities has sex, then, both the boy and the girl to smoke subsequently. Message Clearly, no matter how powerful you are, you must have a smoke after sex to make it "complete".
Conclusion
There are many other examples of associative learning that smokers used to strengthen the psychological mechanism smokers to continue smoking. If you think that smokers out of their way to associate pleasant events and experiences with smoking, you're right! It is actually an internal drive to make these associations to justify engaging in conduct aversion and unpleasant.
The Smoking psychological mechanism is first constructed by desire, but it is reinforced by the positive association with associative learning. Remember the next time you smoke a cigarette after having something fun!
© 2009, R. Michael Stone
About the Author
R. Michael Stone, M.S. – Counselor
Creator of The Unlearn Smoking Success System™ – Become not an ex-smoker but a NON-smoker in only 28 days.==>Program Details and FREE Reports==>Other Self Improvement Products==>Thinking Write Creativity CD
