Mechanisms of Change in a Go/No-Go Training Video Game (HitnRun) for Young Adult Smokers

There is no evidence-based intervention program available to help young adults quit smoking; identifying targets for intervention is critical. A candidate target is inhibitory control, with previous studies showing behavior change in the food and alcohol domain by applying Go/No-Go training paradigms.

The current study examined the mechanisms of change of HitnRun, a video game based on principles of Go/No-Go training, in a smoking population that was motivated to quit. A two-armed randomized controlled trial (n = 106) was conducted and young adults (Mage = 22.15; SDage = 2.59) were randomly assigned to either play HitnRun or to read a psychoeducational brochure. Prior to and directly following the intervention period, smoking-specific and general inhibitory control, perceived attractiveness of smoking pictures, and weekly smoking behavior were assessed.