It is also possible, however, that sensation seeking fuels experimentation with cigarettes at an early age and this leads to the implementation and activation of reinforcement expectancies. Further research is needed to support the notion that sensation seeking may influence the activation of reinforcement expectancies in the early stages of therefore adolescence. It is also possible that high sensation seekers have a stronger sensitivity to nicotine (Perkins et al., 2000, Pomerleau, 1995) that provides the biological basis for the development of reinforcement expectancies, and stronger nicotine sensitivity leads to higher chance of development of nicotine addiction (Pomerleau, Collins, Shiffman, & Pomerleau, 1993). Beside the expectancies, perceived peer smoking is also an important mediator between sensation seeking and smoking.

Two main mechanisms can explain peer influence, namely peer pressure and peer selection (Hoffman, Monge, Chou, & Valente, 2007). Individual characteristics, like sensation seeking, might determine the selection of friends, who then provide a peer context that may or may not encourage smoking experimentation (Arnett, 2007; de Vries, Candel, Engels, & Mercken, 2006) or may convey the reinforcement expectancies. The present study and other studies support that perceived peer smoking mediates between sensation seeking and smoking (Wills et al., 1998; Yanovitzky, 2005). The present study also adds to an understanding of peer influence in that both positive and negative reinforcement expectancies also mediate between peer smoking and smoking.

Peer influence might be a vehicle, which might transfer the information about reinforcement properties of smoking and other drug use (Hine et al., 2002, Romer & Hennessy, 2007). Peers can enhance the process of learning both negative and positive reinforcement, but the present study cannot answer the question of how the learning process takes place. Although we cannot infer causality, this model describes the possible mechanism whereby sensation seeking increases positive and negative reinforcement expectancies and higher reinforcement expectancies foster cigarette use. Although the mediation is not perfect, it explains a substantially large and significant part of the association between sensation seeking and smoking. Nevertheless, this model helps our understanding of why highly sensation-seeking adolescents smoke more than their less sensation-seeking peers.

Some studies identify the effectiveness of programs targeting personality risk factors of Brefeldin_A drug use including alcohol, such as sensation seeking, anxiety, and hopelessness (Conrod, Stewart, Comeau, & Maclean, 2006). Brief personalized prevention work targeting risk-taking behaviors may be effective in adolescent populations (e.g.