Choice Impulsivity
Hanna Pickard, Serge H. Ahmed in The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy and Science of Addiction, 2019
Impulsivity is defined as a predisposition toward rapid, unplanned reactions to internal or external stimuli with little regard for the negative consequences to the individual or others (Moeller et al. 2001). This facet of behavior is highly relevant for a host of psychiatric disorders where the ability to govern and refrain from committing rapid, unplanned reactions is objectively diminished; and substance use disorders (SUD) may represent the most prominent example. Considerable research has shown that individuals with SUD have poor impulse control in a variety of self-report measures and behavioral laboratory tasks (Kjome et al. 2010; MacKillop et al. 2011; Hamilton et al. 2015a, 2015b) and that the function of the neurobiological substrates of impulse control is altered in these individuals (Volkow et al. 2011; Ersche et al. 2012). Among a host of other mitigating factors that are broadly encompassed by environment and genetics, research on impulse control increases the understanding of the conditions that precipitate the maladaptive choice to use drugs. This research has provided evidence for arguments that addiction is not completely volitional, consistent with the definition of impulsivity as an uncontrolled reaction to salient stimuli.
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
Tricia L. Chandler, Fredrick Dombrowski, Tara G. Matthews in Co-occurring Mental Illness and Substance Use Disorders, 2022
The DSM-5 describes symptoms of inattention as off-task behaviors, wandering, disorganization, and lack of persistence or focus that does not occur due issues of comprehension or defiant behaviors. A person may seem distracted or forgetful, missing out on commitments they have made to friends and family. Hyperactivity can present as excessive and inappropriate motor activity in children and adults and as extreme restlessness in adulthood. Impulsivity includes actions that are hasty and initiated without forethought and that have potential to harm, as well as failure to consider long-term consequences and social intrusiveness (APA, 2013). While those living with ADHD may identify how illicit substance use can provide initial relief of symptoms, the compounding effects of ongoing substance use coupled with symptoms of co-occurring disorders on a bedrock of lack of attention and impulsivity indicates a need for multimodal treatment to assist those in this category (Maté, 2019).
Behavioural symptoms
Aurora Lassaletta, Ruth Clarke in The Invisible Brain Injury, 2019
I notice myself being impulsive even in my quiet moments, playing word games on my tablet. One of the friends I regularly play with will often make long words using all the letters, which give her lots of points. She almost always beats me. Whereas when I see a possible play, I do it immediately, even if it’s only a few letters; I write the first word that comes into my head. I can’t overcome the impulse, reflect and see whether I could score more points by making a word with all the letters. Impulsivity can be related to difficulty in regulating your own emotions, controlling impulses and desires in the moment and demonstrating social conduct that is appropriate in each situation (impairment to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex). It can also be related to problems with focusing attention properly, suppressing distractions or habitual answers, or planning to reach a goal (injury to the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex).
Singing under the impulsiveness: impulsivity in psychiatric disorders
Published in Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2018
Filiz Kulacaoglu, Samet Kose
Impulsivity is a well-established trait of several psychiatric disorders. However, it is still unknown whether impulsivity remains stable or varies in intensity over the lifespan. Despite the importance of impulsivity, few studies have been made on impulsivity in the elderly. Traditionally, old patients are regarded as a quiet, characterized by higher levels of patience and have a low level of impulsivity. However, in recent years, several studies [13] have shown some personality traits in middle and old ages opposite to traditional studies that regarded personality is stable throughout life. There are experimental studies that focused on inhibitory deficits in old people [14]. According to the inhibition deficit theory of Zacks et al. [15], impaired inhibitory processes cause many of the cognitive deficits in the elderly. According to this age-related inhibition deficit theory, older adults could be more impulsive than younger adults. The few studies performed on this issue; however, showed inconsistent and mostly contradictory results. Another large sample study (n = 2725) using a five well- established self-rating measure of impulsivity found that older individuals were less impulsive on self-rating behavioural inhibition and activation scales than the younger groups [16].
Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and Gaming Disorder among Chinese University Students: Impulsivity and Game Time as Mediators
Published in Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 2020
Li Li, Mark D. Griffiths, Zhimin Niu, Songli Mei
Impulsivity is associated with a variety of features such as carelessness, impatience, seeking excitement, taking risks, and lack of deep thinking (Chamberlain & Sahakian, 2007; Savci & Aysan, 2016). Loss of control (i.e., diminished impulse control) is central in problematic mobile phone use (Billieux, 2012) as well as a key component of all kinds of addictive behaviors (Canale et al., 2015; Cao et al., 2007; Weafer et al., 2014). In addition, impulsivity has been found as one of the most predictive personality factors of IGD/GD, especially in adolescent and emerging adult populations (Argyriou et al., 2017; Bargeron & Hormes, 2017; González -Bueso et al., 2018; Hu et al., 2017; Kim et al., 2017; Paulus et al., 2018; Şalvarlı & Griffiths, 2019b). Self-determination theory and recent studies have suggested that poor self-control (i.e., impulsivity, deficits in the ability to regulate emotion and behaviors) may be one mechanism by which daily need frustration (i.e., being unable to meet basic needs such as autonomy, competence and relatedness) is associated with IGD symptoms (Allen & Anderson, 2018; Mills et al., 2018). Mills and Allen (2020) have reported that daily need frustration on GD may be mediated via impaired self-control.
Relationship of PTSD With impulsivity Dimensions While Controlling the Effect of Anxiety and Depression in a Sample of Inpatients With Alcohol Use Disorder
Published in Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 2018
Cuneyt Evren, Gokhan Umut, Muge Bozkurt, Bilge Evren
Impulsivity is a predisposition toward unplanned action without consideration of negative consequences to oneself and others (Moeller, Barratt, Dougherty, Schmitz, & Swann, 2001). It has been related to quick decision making, risk taking, and lack of planning (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1977). Impulsive behaviors tend to be committed without forethought and are characterized by acting on the spur of the moment with poor future planning, the inability to focus on a specific task, and a diminished ability to regulate emotion (Moeller et al., 2001; Patton, Stanford, & Barratt, 1995; Whiteside & Lynam, 2001). The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) is one of the most commonly used self-report instruments designed to measure three theoretical subtraits of impulsivity: attentional (a lack of focus on the ongoing task), motor (acting without thinking), and nonplanning impulsivity (orientation to the present rather than to the future; Patton et al., 1995; Malloy-Diniz et al., 2015).
Related Knowledge Centers
- Antisocial Personality Disorder
- Courage
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Bipolar Disorder
- Psychology
- Planning
- Delayed Gratification
- Facet
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
- Substance Use Disorder