In 2006, Neuropsychopharmacology published a study with findings of improved memory with the use of nicotine. The “double-blind placebo-controlled study” was conducted on both smoker and non-smoker young adults. Both groups displayed improved function in memory tasks with nicotine. In particular, the improved performance in prospective memory occurred when participants devoted their complete attention to the task. In contrast, when attention was divided, the opposite occurred (see graph below).
There are several contributing factors to this finding. First, nicotine is a stimulant, so it heightens arousal levels. In cognitive psychology I recently learned that moderately high arousal improves performance on cognitive tasks. I am unsure why nicotine did not improve performance in divided attention. One possible explanation is it is only effective in simple-arousal tasks. Regardless, this finding shows an aspect of cigarettes in a positive light, a rare event.
So, will people be wearing nicotine patches to in the library in the future? Will we see nicotine pills become the new study aid? Probably not, but this is an interesting concept. At the very least, this study made me understand why finals week fills the outside perimeter of the library with cigarette smoke.
