Study 1:
1a) Determine if exposure to high-tailored messages focusing on self-relevance and exposure to standard self-relevant stimuli will activate a similar region of the brain of each subject, within the MPFC. Using a region-of-interest analysis, it is hypothesized that these regions will also have increased neural activation under exposure to high-tailored smoking cessation messages, when compared with targeted messages.

1b) Determine if the degree of activation of regions of the brain associated with tailoring of self-relevance (as determined in 1a) will predict smoking abstinence at four-months after administration of a tailored smoking cessation program.

Study 2:
2a) Determine if exposure to high-tailored motivational messages will activate areas associated with motivational drives and reward processing (including nucleus accumbens, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, and ventrotegmental area) when compared against neutral messages.

2b) Determine if exposure to high-tailored instructional messages will activate areas associated with processing rules and instructions (dorsolateral and anterior prefrontal cortex), and motor programming (caudate) and preparation (pre-Supplementary Area [pre-SMA]) when compared against neutral messages.

2c) Determine if degree of activation in regions of the brain associated with motivational messages and instructional messages (as determined in Aims 2a and 2b) will predict smoking abstinence at four-months after administration of a tailored smoking cessation program.

Eighty-eight smokers, ages 21-55 who are interested in quitting smoking, recruited through local flyers, newspaper advertisements, and Engage (the University of Michigan's clinical research study volunteer website).

Study 1:
Participants receive high-tailored and targeted self-relevant smoking cessation messages during an fMRI session, and are asked to complete a control task testing self-relevance. Immediately following the fMRI session, participants receive a web-based tailored smoking cessation program. Participants follow up in four months and are assessed on actual smoking abstinence.

Study 2:
A new set of participants receive high-tailored motivational messages, high-tailored instructional messages, and neutral messages during an fMRI session. Immediately following the fMRI session, participants receive a web-based tailored smoking cessation program. Participants are followed up with in four months and assessed on actual smoking abstinence.

Study in progress.

Study in progress.

Study in progress.