Which dimensions of impulsivity are related to cigarette craving? Joël Billieux a, ⁎ , Martial Van der Linden a,b , Grazia Ceschi a a Cognitive Psychopathology and Neuropsychology Unit, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland b Cognitive Psychopathology Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium Abstract Cigarette smoking is a very important health problem and represents the largest preventable risk factor for premature death in developed countries. A considerable body of research indicates that impulsivity is a central etiological concept in many theoretical models of tobacco addiction. The aim of this study is to analyse which dimensions of impulsivity are related to cigarette craving. To this end, 40 undergraduate psychology students were screened using the revised Questionnaire on Smoking Urges (QSU-12) and the French adaptation of the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS). This scale identifies four distinct components associated with impulsive behaviour: urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking. The results showed that urgency is a significant predictor of tobacco cravings, while depression and anxiety are not. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Cigarette; Smoking; Craving; Impulsivity; UPPS; QSU; Urgency; Inhibition 1. Introduction Cigarette smoking is a very important health problem and represents the largest preventable risk factor for premature death in the developed countries (Bergen & Caporaso, 1999; Peto, Lopez, Boreham, Thun, & Heath, 1992). Cigarette smoking is extremely prevalent worldwide: several studies (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999) have revealed that about a quarter of all American adults smoke cigarettes, and smoking rates are higher in many other countries. In Switzerland, the country in which the current study was done, 31% of the population (26% of females and 36% of males) were smokers in 2002 (Office Fédéral de la Santé Publique, 2003). Moreover, since the diagnosis of nicotine dependence Addictive Behaviors 32 (2007) 1189 – 1199 ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +41 22 379 93 44; fax: +41 22 379 93 59. E-mail address: Joel.Billieux@pse.unige.ch (J. Billieux). 0306-4603/$ - see front matter © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.08.007