Attentional BiasNCT03786042

Trial on the Effect of E-cigarette Advertising on Cigarette Perceptions in Adolescents

A study testing E-cigarette ad exposure and non e-cigarette TV commercials in people with Attentional Bias and Smoking Cues, run by Trustees of Dartmouth College at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record

Search all trials

Trial summary

This research aims to investigate how exposure to advertising for Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (commonly called e-cigarettes) may lead to combustible smoking initiation in adolescents. Read more about this study

Who is it for?: Ages 14 to 17 years
Conditions the study is for: Attentional Bias, Smoking Cues, Positive Perceptions About Cigarette Smoking
What is being tested?: E-cigarette ad exposure and non e-cigarette TV commercials
Type of treatment: Lifestyle or therapy programme
Could I receive a placebo?: Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people: 139 participants
Where: 1 siteUnited States
Study dates: 4 Feb 2019to 9 Dec 2021
Phase: Interventional
Are there results?: Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

Ages 14 to 17 years
All sexes
No healthy volunteers
Child

Who may be able to join

Who cannot join

Exclusion criteria will include inadequate English proficiency, and diagnosis of a learning or vision disorder.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site

Dartmouth-Hithchock Medical Center
Lebanon, New Hampshire, 03756

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Does Exposure to Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Advertising Affect Positive Smoking Expectancies and Social Normative Beliefs About Smoking?

This research aims to investigate how exposure to advertising for Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (commonly called e-cigarettes) may lead to combustible smoking initiation in adolescents.

Read the detailed description

[3/14/2020]: Study recruitment temporarily halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Conditions: Attentional Bias, Smoking Cues, Positive Perceptions About Cigarette Smoking, Social Norms, Smoking Susceptibility
Being tested: E-cigarette ad exposure, non e-cigarette TV commercials
Keywords: Positive Smoking expectancies, e-cigarette advertising, adolescents

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

E-cigarette ad exposureBehavioural
Participants view a series of e-cigarette TV commercials
non e-cigarette TV commercialsOther
Participants view a series of non e-cigarette TV commercials

Study groups in NCT03786042
Study group	Role	What they receive
E-cigarette ad exposure	Active comparator	Participants in the e-cigarette ad exposure condition will view e-cigarette ads on the computer screen while having their eye movements tracked Receives: Behavioral: E-cigarette ad exposure
non e-cigarette ad exposure	Sham comparator	Participants in the non e-cigarette ad exposure condition will view non e-cigarette ads on the computer screen while having their eye movements tracked Receives: Other: non e-cigarette TV commercials

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

Implicit Positive Smoking Expectancies, Measured by the Implicit Association Test
Scores are measured by recording the amount of time (milliseconds) it takes to categorize smoking-related words with positive (e.g., cool) and negative (e.g., cancer) words. Faster reaction times when categorizing smoking-related words with positive words is evidence of higher positive smoking expectancies.
Measured: within 5 minutes post intervention
Amount of Time Spent Looking at Static Smoking Cues in E-cigarette Advertisements
Eye-tracking will be used to measure the amount of time (milliseconds) spent looking at static smoking cues in screen shots taken from e-cigarette advertisements. The amount time spent looking at a smoking cue is a measure how much attention was given to the smoking cue. The longer the looking time, the greater amount of attention.
Measured: approximately 30 minutes post intervention
Implicit Positive Vaping Expectancies, Measured by the Implicit Association Test
Scores are measured by recording the amount of time (milliseconds) it takes to categorize vaping-related words with positive (e.g., cool) and negative (e.g., cancer) words. Faster reaction times when categorizing smoking-related words with positive words is evidence of higher positive smoking expectancies.
Measured: within 5 minutes post intervention

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

4 Feb 20199 Dec 2021

First posted24 Dec 2018
Study start4 Feb 2019
Primary completion9 Dec 2021
Study completion9 Dec 2021

Resources

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
Publications (54)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
Other trials for Attentional BiasStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design

Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase N/A
Primary purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Factorial
Masking: Single blind
Who is masked: Participant
Enrolment: 139 participants (actual)

IDs, dates and publications

ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03786042
Sponsor's protocol ID: D19034
Other IDs: 1R21CA232054-01
Status last verified: Sep 2025
First submitted: 20 Dec 2018
Last updated: 26 Sep 2025
Results posted: Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
FDA-regulated drug: No
FDA-regulated device: No
Individual data sharing: No

Publications

Singh T, Agaku IT, Arrazola RA, Marynak KL, Neff LJ, Rolle IT, King BA. Exposure to Advertisements and Electronic Cigarette Use Among US Middle and High School Students. Pediatrics. 2016 May;137(5):e20154155. doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-4155.
PubMed 27244815
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (US) Office on Smoking and Health. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US); 2012. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK99237/
PubMed 22876391
Pierce JP, Sargent JD, White MM, Borek N, Portnoy DB, Green VR, Kaufman AR, Stanton CA, Bansal-Travers M, Strong DR, Pearson JL, Coleman BN, Leas E, Noble ML, Trinidad DR, Moran MB, Carusi C, Hyland A, Messer K. Receptivity to Tobacco Advertising and Susceptibility to Tobacco Products. Pediatrics. 2017 Jun;139(6):e20163353. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-3353.
PubMed 28562266
Villanti AC, Rath JM, Williams VF, Pearson JL, Richardson A, Abrams DB, Niaura RS, Vallone DM. Impact of Exposure to Electronic Cigarette Advertising on Susceptibility and Trial of Electronic Cigarettes and Cigarettes in US Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nicotine Tob Res. 2016 May;18(5):1331-9. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntv235. Epub 2015 Nov 16.
PubMed 26574551
Heatherton TF, Sargent JD. Does Watching Smoking in Movies Promote Teenage Smoking? Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2009 Apr 15;18(2):63-67. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8721.2009.01610.x.
PubMed 20160916
Sargent JD, Beach ML, Adachi-Mejia AM, Gibson JJ, Titus-Ernstoff LT, Carusi CP, Swain SD, Heatherton TF, Dalton MA. Exposure to movie smoking: its relation to smoking initiation among US adolescents. Pediatrics. 2005 Nov;116(5):1183-91. doi: 10.1542/peds.2005-0714.
PubMed 16264007
Dal Cin S, Gibson B, Zanna MP, Shumate R, Fong GT. Smoking in movies, implicit associations of smoking with the self, and intentions to smoke. Psychol Sci. 2007 Jul;18(7):559-63. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01939.x.
PubMed 17614861
National Cancer Institute. The role of the media in promoting and reducing tobacco use. Tobacco control monograph No. 19. (2008).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking in Movies. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/youth_data/movies/index.htm. (Accessed: 5 November 2016)
Duke JC, Lee YO, Kim AE, Watson KA, Arnold KY, Nonnemaker JM, Porter L. Exposure to electronic cigarette television advertisements among youth and young adults. Pediatrics. 2014 Jul;134(1):e29-36. doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-0269. Epub 2014 Jun 2.
PubMed 24918224
US Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences of smoking - 50 years of progress. (2014).
King AC, Smith LJ, Fridberg DJ, Matthews AK, McNamara PJ, Cao D. Exposure to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) visual imagery increases smoking urge and desire. Psychol Addict Behav. 2016 Feb;30(1):106-12. doi: 10.1037/adb0000123. Epub 2015 Nov 30.
PubMed 26618797
R, W. & A, S. Handbook of implicit cognition and addiction. (Sage, 2006).
Booth P, Albery IP, Frings D. Effect of e-cigarette advertisements and antismoking messages on explicit and implicit attitudes towards tobacco and e-cigarette smoking in 18-65-year-olds: a randomised controlled study protocol. BMJ Open. 2017 Jun 23;7(6):e014361. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014361.
PubMed 28645957
Baschnagel JS. Using mobile eye-tracking to assess attention to smoking cues in a naturalized environment. Addict Behav. 2013 Dec;38(12):2837-40. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.08.005. Epub 2013 Aug 14.
PubMed 24018227

Want to know more?

The sponsor has not listed a contact. The official record may have more details.

Talk to your doctor first and take this page with you. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

Questions to ask the study team

What is the study trying to find out?
What would I need to do, and how often would I visit?
Could I receive a placebo instead of the treatment?
What are the possible risks and benefits for me?
Will it cost me anything? Are travel or time paid for?
Can I keep seeing my own doctor during the study?
What happens when the study ends?

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Study at a glance

From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 26 Sep 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.

Official title: Does Exposure to Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Advertising Affect Positive Smoking Expectancies and Social Normative Beliefs About Smoking?
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03786042
Acronym / sponsor ID: D19034
Conditions: Attentional Bias, Smoking Cues, Positive Perceptions About Cigarette Smoking, Social Norms, Smoking Susceptibility
Keywords: Positive Smoking expectancies, e-cigarette advertising, adolescents
Study type: Interventional
Recruitment status: Completed
Enrolment: 139 participants (actual)
Lead sponsor: Trustees of Dartmouth CollegeUniversity, hospital or other
Collaborators: National Cancer Institute (NCI), Dartmouth College
Study start: 4 Feb 2019 (actual)
Primary completion: 9 Dec 2021 (actual)
Study completion: 9 Dec 2021 (actual)
First posted: 24 Dec 2018 (actual)
Results: Posted 26 Sep 2025

Clinical summary

The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.

This research aims to investigate how exposure to advertising for Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (commonly called e-cigarettes) may lead to combustible smoking initiation in adolescents.

Detailed description

[3/14/2020]: Study recruitment temporarily halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Study design

Primary purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomised
Intervention model: Factorial
Masking: Single blind (participant)
Number of arms: 2

Arm	Type	Receives
E-cigarette ad exposure	Active comparator	Behavioral: E-cigarette ad exposureParticipants in the e-cigarette ad exposure condition will view e-cigarette ads on the computer screen while having their eye movements tracked
non e-cigarette ad exposure	Sham comparator	Other: non e-cigarette TV commercialsParticipants in the non e-cigarette ad exposure condition will view non e-cigarette ads on the computer screen while having their eye movements tracked

Who may qualify

Ages: 14 to 17 years
Sex: All
Healthy volunteers: Not accepted
Age groups: Child

Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)

Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)

Exclusion criteria will include inadequate English proficiency, and diagnosis of a learning or vision disorder.

Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Interventions

Intervention	Type	Arms
E-cigarette ad exposureParticipants view a series of e-cigarette TV commercials	Behavioural	E-cigarette ad exposure
non e-cigarette TV commercialsParticipants view a series of non e-cigarette TV commercials	Other	non e-cigarette ad exposure

Primary outcome

Implicit Positive Smoking Expectancies, Measured by the Implicit Association Test
Time frame: within 5 minutes post intervention
Scores are measured by recording the amount of time (milliseconds) it takes to categorize smoking-related words with positive (e.g., cool) and negative (e.g., cancer) words. Faster reaction times when categorizing smoking-related words with positive words is evidence of higher positive smoking expectancies.
Amount of Time Spent Looking at Static Smoking Cues in E-cigarette Advertisements
Time frame: approximately 30 minutes post intervention
Eye-tracking will be used to measure the amount of time (milliseconds) spent looking at static smoking cues in screen shots taken from e-cigarette advertisements. The amount time spent looking at a smoking cue is a measure how much attention was given to the smoking cue. The longer the looking time, the greater amount of attention.
Implicit Positive Vaping Expectancies, Measured by the Implicit Association Test
Time frame: within 5 minutes post intervention
Scores are measured by recording the amount of time (milliseconds) it takes to categorize vaping-related words with positive (e.g., cool) and negative (e.g., cancer) words. Faster reaction times when categorizing smoking-related words with positive words is evidence of higher positive smoking expectancies.

Results and safety

Results posted to the registry on 26 Sep 2025, as reported by the sponsor. Figures are copied from the record, not re-analysed. Full results on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Participant flow

Group	Started	Completed
E-cigarette ad Exposure	86	86
Non E-cigarette ad Exposure	41	41

Primary outcome: Implicit Positive Smoking Expectancies, Measured by the Implicit Association Test

Time frame: within 5 minutes post intervention. Mean (Standard Deviation). Unit: milliseconds

Measure	E-cigarette ad Exposure n = 86	Non E-cigarette ad Exposure n = 41
Value	1072.96 (171.91)	1029.87 (108.60)

Primary outcome: Amount of Time Spent Looking at Static Smoking Cues in E-cigarette Advertisements

Time frame: approximately 30 minutes post intervention. Mean (Standard Deviation). Unit: milliseconds

Measure	E-cigarette ad Exposure n = 86
Value	972.34 (581.76)

Population analysed: Data not collected for participants in Non E-cigarette ad Exposure Arm because they were not exposed to e-cigarette advertisements.

Primary outcome: Implicit Positive Vaping Expectancies, Measured by the Implicit Association Test

Time frame: within 5 minutes post intervention. Mean (Standard Deviation). Unit: milliseconds

Measure	E-cigarette ad Exposure n = 86	Non E-cigarette ad Exposure n = 41
Value	1001.37 (114.74)	1029.86 (108.60)

Adverse events

Time frame: Adverse event data was not collected for this study.. Other adverse events reported at 0% frequency or more

Group	Serious adverse events	Other adverse events	Deaths
E-cigarette ad Exposure	0 of 0	0 of 0	0
Non E-cigarette ad Exposure	0 of 0	0 of 0	0

Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…

Research links

Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 26 Sep 2025.
Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
Background: PubMed 27244815Singh T, Agaku IT, Arrazola RA, Marynak KL, Neff LJ, Rolle IT, King BA. Exposure to Advertisements and Electronic Cigarette Use Among US Middle and High School Students. Pediatrics. 2016 May;137(5):e20154155. doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-4155.
Background: PubMed 22876391National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (US) Office on Smoking and Health. Preventing Tobacco Use Among Youth and Young Adults: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US); 2012. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK99237/
Background: PubMed 28562266Pierce JP, Sargent JD, White MM, Borek N, Portnoy DB, Green VR, Kaufman AR, Stanton CA, Bansal-Travers M, Strong DR, Pearson JL, Coleman BN, Leas E, Noble ML, Trinidad DR, Moran MB, Carusi C, Hyland A, Messer K. Receptivity to Tobacco Advertising and Susceptibility to Tobacco Products. Pediatrics. 2017 Jun;139(6):e20163353. doi: 10.1542/peds.2016-3353.
Background: PubMed 26574551Villanti AC, Rath JM, Williams VF, Pearson JL, Richardson A, Abrams DB, Niaura RS, Vallone DM. Impact of Exposure to Electronic Cigarette Advertising on Susceptibility and Trial of Electronic Cigarettes and Cigarettes in US Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nicotine Tob Res. 2016 May;18(5):1331-9. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntv235. Epub 2015 Nov 16.
Background: PubMed 20160916Heatherton TF, Sargent JD. Does Watching Smoking in Movies Promote Teenage Smoking? Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2009 Apr 15;18(2):63-67. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8721.2009.01610.x.
Background: PubMed 16264007Sargent JD, Beach ML, Adachi-Mejia AM, Gibson JJ, Titus-Ernstoff LT, Carusi CP, Swain SD, Heatherton TF, Dalton MA. Exposure to movie smoking: its relation to smoking initiation among US adolescents. Pediatrics. 2005 Nov;116(5):1183-91. doi: 10.1542/peds.2005-0714.
Background: PubMed 17614861Dal Cin S, Gibson B, Zanna MP, Shumate R, Fong GT. Smoking in movies, implicit associations of smoking with the self, and intentions to smoke. Psychol Sci. 2007 Jul;18(7):559-63. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01939.x.
BackgroundNational Cancer Institute. The role of the media in promoting and reducing tobacco use. Tobacco control monograph No. 19. (2008).
BackgroundCenters for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking in Movies. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/youth_data/movies/index.htm. (Accessed: 5 November 2016)
Background: PubMed 24918224Duke JC, Lee YO, Kim AE, Watson KA, Arnold KY, Nonnemaker JM, Porter L. Exposure to electronic cigarette television advertisements among youth and young adults. Pediatrics. 2014 Jul;134(1):e29-36. doi: 10.1542/peds.2014-0269. Epub 2014 Jun 2.
BackgroundUS Department of Health and Human Services. The health consequences of smoking - 50 years of progress. (2014).
Background: PubMed 26618797King AC, Smith LJ, Fridberg DJ, Matthews AK, McNamara PJ, Cao D. Exposure to electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) visual imagery increases smoking urge and desire. Psychol Addict Behav. 2016 Feb;30(1):106-12. doi: 10.1037/adb0000123. Epub 2015 Nov 30.
Individual participant dataSharing planned: No

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Referral and contact

AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.

James Sargent, MD principal investigator

Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College

Diane Gilbert-Diamond, ScD principal investigator

Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College

1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing E-cigarette ad exposure and non e-cigarette TV commercials in people with Attentional Bias and Smoking Cues, run by Trustees of Dartmouth College at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 26 Sep 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 26 Sep 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Implicit Positive Smoking Expectancies, Measured by the Implicit Association Test (time frame: within 5 minutes post intervention). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT03786042, which also lists 54 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 26 Sep 2025.