Recovery From Nicotine Addiction: A Diffusion Model Decomposition of Value-Based Decision-Making in Current Smokers and Ex-smokers.

This article investigates the cognitive mechanisms underlying recovery from nicotine addiction by examining value-based decision-making (VBDM) processes in current daily smokers and ex-smokers. Using a drift-diffusion model (DDM) applied to reaction time and accuracy data from a forced-choice task involving tobacco-related and tobacco-unrelated images, the study found that ex-smokers exhibit significantly higher response thresholds—indicating greater decision caution—when making tobacco-related choices compared to current smokers, while evidence accumulation rates did not differ between groups. These findings suggest that increased cautiousness in tobacco-related decision-making may characterize recovery from nicotine addiction and represent a potential target for treatment interventions. The study acknowledges limitations including its cross-sectional design, reliance on self-reported smoking status, and the use of non-appetitive tobacco-unrelated stimuli, recommending longitudinal and mixed-method approaches for future research.