Effects of cigarette smoking on learning and retention

Abstract

Verbal rote learning was studied on 10 habitual smokers in a smoking and non-smoking session. Smoking induced a significant decrease in the number of correct responses on the learning task as compared to non-smoking values. The impaired learning coincided in time by an increased arousal as measured by heart rate. A test of recall 45 min after the end of the learning period, when the presmoking arousal level had been restored, showed that retention was better in the smoking condition than in the nonsmoking condition. The results were interpreted in terms of Walker's theory (1958) postulating a relationship between arousal level and consolidation of memory.