Operationally, impulsivity is considered to be a multidimensional construct, with impulsive behavior potentially arising from several different mechanisms, underpinned by distinct neural, and cognitive systems ( Evenden, 1999 Gray, 2000 Whiteside and Lynam, 2001 Dalley et al., 2011).Īn established self-report instrument, the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale ( Whiteside and Lynam, 2001), for example, distinguishes four cognitive dimensions that predispose to impulsive acts: (1) lack of premeditation or a tendency to act without deliberation (2) lack of perseverance or inability to complete dull or difficult tasks (3) urgency or acting rashly whilst upset and (4) sensation-seeking or need for novelty and excitement. It is clear, however, that the term means different things to different researchers. Impulsivity has been defined as the predisposition to act with a low or inadequate degree of deliberation, forethought, or control ( Moeller et al., 2001). Based on these findings, we argue that the Traffic Light task provides a parametric method to study one aspect of impulsivity in health and disease: namely, rapid decision-making in pursuit of risky, time-sensitive rewards. Moreover, anticipatory behavior reduced significantly with age (18–79 years), an effect that continued to be upheld after correction for potential age differences in the ability to judge the timing of responses. Participants who scored more highly on this subscale performed better on the task. We show that behavioral variables that index rapid anticipatory responding in this paradigm are correlated with one, specific self-report measure of impulsivity: “lack of premeditation” on the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale.
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In the current study we examine behavior in 59 adults on a manual “Traffic Light” task which requires participants to take risks under time pressure, if they are to maximize reward. Although many tasks have been developed to study impulsivity, few examine decisions made rapidly, for time-sensitive rewards. Indeed, a “functional” degree of impulsivity may even promote effective behavior in healthy participants in a way that can be advantageous under certain circumstances.
This may in part be due to the fact that it is a multifaceted construct, with impulsive decisions potentially arising as a result of a number of underlying mechanisms. Although often defined as the predisposition to act with an inadequate degree of deliberation, forethought, or control, it has proven difficult to measure. Impulsivity is a feature of many brain disorders.
Adam 1 Maren Urner 1 Leslie van der Leer 1,3 Bahador Bahrami 1,4 Paul M.
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