The convergence and divergence of impulsivity facets in daily life

Abstract

These results generally support a four-factor model of multidimensional impulsivity with a general overall urgency factor instead of separate positive and negative urgency facets.

Turning the UPPS down: Urgency predicts treatment outcome in a partial hospitalization program

“…Participants in this study also endorsed low rates of substance use problems and self-harm/suicidal ideation at discharge, limiting the ability of our analyses to detect potential influences of positive urgency. Although closely correlated with negative urgency [4], positive urgency has also been identified as a correlate of specific symptoms and behaviors, such as bipolar disorder [12], problems with alcohol use [45], and risky sexual behavior [20]. Average scores on the Positive Urgency measures were lower than those for Negative Urgency in the present study; it is possible that positive urgency may be more relevant for treatment outcomes in these specific populations.…”

“…An important goal for future research will be to determine which aspects of treatment (if any) are related to decreases in this trait, and to evaluate specific mechanisms that help both negative and positive urgency to subside. For example, urgency is somewhat correlated with related constructs such as distress tolerance [47, 48], as well as with negative affect more broadly [4]. Difficulties tolerating distress also decrease during partial hospital treatment [49], so it is possible that improvements in urgency are mediated by improvements in distress tolerance or other similar mechanisms.…”

“…Second, we hypothesized that negative urgency scores would significantly decrease from pre- to post-treatment, based on previous studies documenting significant change in urgency during treatment. Third, we hypothesized that positive urgency would decrease, based on some prior research supporting the premise that positive urgency is malleable [27], and on other evidence showing that negative and positive urgency are highly correlated and may be part of the same overarching construct [4, 28]. Thus, we hypothesized that positive urgency would be expected to decrease if negative urgency did so as well.…”

“…Within the UPPS model, urgency is defined as rash action occurring in the context of either negative emotion (negative urgency) or positive emotion (positive urgency [3]). Both negative and positive urgency involve impulsive action specifically in response to emotion, and evidence suggests that these two dimensions of urgency are strongly correlated [4]. …”

Neurocognitive mechanisms of emotion‐related impulsivity: The role of arousal

“…While early models of emotion‐related impulsivity characterized a factor defined as negative urgency, the tendency to act impulsively in response to negative emotion (Whiteside & Lynam, ; Whiteside et al, ), later work identified a separable factor of positive urgency, the tendency to act impulsively in response to positive emotion (Cyders & Smith, ). More recently, factor analytic evidence suggests that these two factors have a common underlying core (Carver, Johnson, Joormann, Kim, & Nam, ; Sperry, Lynam, & Kwapil, ). Because tendencies to respond impulsively to heightened emotion occur across both positive and negative emotions (Cyders et al, ), heightened arousal, rather than valence, may be the trigger.…”