2. Conceptual framework
Adverse health consequences on individuals who smoke may
lead to attempted or actual cessation through several pathways.3
One channel is through a change in the subjective probability of
an adverse health outcome conditional on continued smoking. As
an individual’s subjective beliefs about probabilities of specific
adverse health outcomes from smoking increase, the propensity
to continue smoking is expected to decrease.
Assume that the smoker is a Bayesian updater.4 The smoker
starts with a prior belief about probabilities of various outcomes
occurring conditional on his choices. Prior beliefs reflect evidence
from scientific reports, media, discussions with friends and
acquaintances, and other information sources about links between
choices and outcomes.5 These probabilities are updated as the person
receives new information aboutthe probabilities based, in part,
on personal experiences of others in comparable situations, here
other smokers.