Purpose: Past research has suggested that executive functions, such as working memory and response inhibition, predict the use of nicotine and tobacco products (NTPs). The current study extends prior research by assessing whether response inhibition and working memory are associated with at-risk youth's willingness to use NTPs. Methods: A sample of 1060 at-risk youth were recruited from alternative high schools in southern California. Participants were randomly assigned to complete the Symmetry Span Task, an indicator of working memory ability, or the cued Go/No-Go task, an indicator of response inhibition. Participants who reported never using NTPs (n = 348) indicated how willing they would be try NTPs. Results: Results from a cross-sectional zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression suggest that females with stronger working memory skills and individuals with weaker response inhibition skills were more likely to be unwilling to use NTPs. Conclusion: While further research is needed to determine whether executive functions can prospectively predict NTP use among at-risk youth, the current study indicates that both working memory and response inhibition may play a significant role.
Keywords: Willingness; executive functions; nicotine use; response inhibition; working memory.