Positive urgency, the tendency to respond impulsively to positive affective states, has been linked to many psychopathologies, but little is known about mechanisms underpinning this form of impulsivity. We examined whether the Positive Urgency measure related to performance-based measures of impulsivity and cognitive control that were administered after a positive mood induction. Undergraduates (n = 112) completed the self-report Positive Urgency measure, several positive mood inductions, and behavioral measures of impulsivity and cognitive control. Positive Urgency scores were significantly related to poor performance on the antisaccade task, a measure of prepotent response inhibition, but not to other performance measures. Together with existing literature, findings implicate deficits in response inhibition as one mechanism involved in emotion-related impulsivity.
Objectives A growing empirical literature indicates that emotion-related impulsivity (compared to impulsivity that is unrelated to emotion) is particularly relevant for understanding a broad range of psychopathologies. Recent work, however, has differentiated two forms of emotion-related impulsivity: A factor termed Pervasive Influence of Feelings captures tendencies for emotions (mostly negative emotions) to quickly shape thoughts. A factor termed Feelings Trigger Action captures tendencies for positive and negative emotions to quickly and reflexively shape behavior and speech. The current study used path modeling to consider links from emotion-related and non-emotion-related impulsivity to a broad range of psychopathologies. Design and Methods Undergraduates completed self-report measures of impulsivity, depression, anxiety, aggression, and substance use symptoms. Results A path model (N = 261) indicated specificity of these forms of impulsivity. Pervasive Influence of Feelings was related to anxiety and depression, whereas Feelings Trigger Action and non-emotion-related impulsivity were related to aggression and substance use. Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that emotion-relevant impulsivity could be a potentially important treatment target for a set of psychopathologies.
A growing body of research suggests that impulsive responses to emotion more robustly predict suicidality than do other forms of impulsivity. This issue has not yet been examined within bipolar disorder, however. Participants diagnosed with bipolar I disorder (n = 133) and control participants (n = 110) diagnosed with no mood or psychotic disorder completed self-report measures of emotion-triggered impulsivity (Negative and Positive Urgency Scales) and interviews concerning lifetime suicidality. Analyses examined the effects of emotion-triggered impulsivity alone and in combination with gender, age of onset, depression severity, comorbid anxiety, comorbid substance use, and medication. A history of suicide ideation and attempts, as well as self-harm, were significantly more common in the bipolar disorder group compared with the control group. Impulsive responses to positive emotions related to suicide ideation, attempts, and self-harm within the bipolar group. Findings extend research on the importance of emotion-triggered impulsivity to a broad range of key outcomes within bipolar disorder. The discussion focuses on limitations and potential clinical implications.
Despite the centrality of emotion disturbance in neurobiological models of bipolar disorder, the behavioral literature has not yet clearly identified the most central aspects of emotion disturbance in bipolar disorder. Toward this aim, we gathered a battery of emotion-related measures in 67 persons diagnosed with bipolar I disorder as assessed with SCID and a well-matched control group of 58 persons without a history of mood disorders. Those with bipolar disorder were interviewed monthly until they achieved remission, and then tested on emotion measures. A subset of 36 participants with bipolar disorder completed symptom severity interviews at 12-month follow-up. Factor analyses indicated four emotion factor scores: Negative Emotion, Positive Emotion, Reappraisal and Suppression. Bivariate analyses suggested that bipolar disorder was tied to a host of emotion disturbances, but multivariate analyses suggested that bipolar disorder was particularly tied to elevations of Negative Emotion. High Negative Emotion, low Positive Emotion, and high Suppression were conjointly related to lower functioning. Reappraisal predicted declines in depression over time for those with bipolar disorder. Findings highlight the importance of considering the overall profile of emotion disturbance in bipolar disorder. Emotion and emotion regulation appear central to a broad range of outcomes in bipolar disorder.
A large literature documents that people with bipolar disorder are overrepresented among those who achieve fame for their creative endeavors, as well as among those who select creative occupations. Multiple models of this elevated creativity have been proposed. These include the idea that divergent thinking, ambitiousness, or positive affectivity would be high in bipolar disorder and could explain the heightened creative achievement. An alternative perspective suggests that people with bipolar disorder might just show greater variability in creative abilities, yielding some with extremely high accomplishments. We examine these models using a multimethod approach to assessing creativity among 62 persons with bipolar I disorder as compared with a well-matched sample of 50 control participants. Persons with bipolar disorder did not demonstrate significantly higher creativity scores across indices, but did display significantly more heterogeneity in creative accomplishment levels compared with those with no bipolar disorder. Positive affectivity, mania, or related clinical characteristics were not significantly related to creative thinking or creative accomplishment. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
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