Tested the hypothesis that for some individuals, certain kinds of cigarette smoking may contribute to psychological well-being. Measures of life stress, age, and the 3 personality dimensions of neuroticism, extraversion, and openness to experience were collected on 1,101 men. Smoking status, smoking motives, and psychological well-being were also measured. Both personality and smoking motives showed a replicable factor structure that was stable over many years. Age, life stress, and demographic variables showed lititlee relation to psychological well-being, whereas the personality variables of neuroticism and extraversion showed stronger relations. Smoking was associated with neuroticism, but not with extraversion, and neither smoking itself nor smoking for any particular motivation showed any effect on psychological well-being.