General Impulse Research Articles

Pornography use, problematic pornography use, impulsivity, and sensation seeking: a meta-analysis.

While some individuals engage in recreational pornography use (PU), others may develop an uncontrolled pattern of use termed problematic pornography use (PPU). PPU is characterized by persistent, excessive, or compulsive engagement with pornographic content, despite distress and adverse consequences. Impulsivity has been identified as a factor associated with PU and PPU. The present meta-analysis aims to sum up the existing research on the relationship between impulsivity and PU/PPU and investigate whether age and gender could moderate this relationship. A keyword-based systematic literature search was performed to identify articles that assessed PU/PPU and impulsivity. Extracted correlations were converted into Fisher's Z. Meta-regression analyses were also performed. Publication bias was assessed by Egger's regression intercept. Outcomes included general impulsivity and its dimensions (ie, negative and positive urgency, lack of premeditation and perseverance), sensation seeking, PU, and PPU. Meta-analytic results of the random effects model showed a significant positive correlation between impulsivity as total score and PU (n = 1504, k = 4, Fisher's Z = 0.21, P < .001) and PPU (n = 20174, k = 13, Fisher's Z = 0.17, P < .001). Significant and positive associations were also found between sensation seeking and PU (n = 11707, k = 11, Fisher's Z = 0.14, P < .001) and PPU (n = 20152, k = 9, Fisher's Z = 0.06, P < .001). Concerning the relationship between PPU and different dimensions of impulsivity, almost all the associations were significant and positive. The dimension of positive urgency and attentional and nonplanning impulsivity showed the strongest association. Age (β = -0.50, Q = 101.26, df = 11, P < .001) and gender (female = 1; β = -0.46, Q = 102.54, df = 12, P < .001) moderated the association between general impulsivity and PPU. No risk of publication bias emerged. Prevention programs of PPU should focus on impulsivity and certain key dimensions (eg, positive urgency, attentional and nonplanning impulsivity) and be tailored to individual impulsivity profiles, considering age and gender differences. The primary strength of this meta-analysis is that it considers various conceptualizations of impulsivity. However, the results are to be interpreted with caution since >30% of relevant studies had to be excluded because information could not be gathered from the study authors. These results suggest that general impulsivity is linked to PU and PPU and that specific dimensions of impulsivity (ie, attentional impulsivity, nonplanning impulsivity, and positive urgency) can serve as risk factors for PPU.

The Relevance of Hypersexuality and Impulsivity in Different Groups of Treatment-Seekers With and Without (Exclusive) Pedophilia.

Hypersexuality and impulsivity are regarded as risk factors for sexual offending against children. Studies exploring these factors in undetected men who offended or are at risk of offending are rare. This study aims to investigate hypersexuality and impulsivity in treatment-seeking men with and without a diagnosis of (exclusive) pedophilia who committed child sexual abuse (CSA), consumed child sexual abuse images (CSAI), or feel at risk of offending sexually. Data were obtained from three child abuse prevention projects in Bamberg, Germany. We employed self-report (BIS-11, HBI), objective measures (TSO), and risk assessment tools (STABLE-2007). We computed Bayesian ordinal logit and binomial generalized linear models to explore differences between groups and to predict lifetime CSA and CSAI. Hypersexuality scores were particularly pronounced in patients with exclusive and non-exclusive pedophilia. Patients without pedophilia scored similarly to nonclinical samples. Impulsivity measures did not consistently differ between groups. We could not predict lifetime CSA and CSAI using impulsivity and hypersexuality measures. Sexual rather than general impulsivity seems to be an issue in men with pedophilia. The motivation to offend in patients without pedophilia is discussed.

International Linkages of Inflation‐Output Dynamics: Fresh GVAR Evidence from Pakistan and Its Trading Partners

The key purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between inflation and output dynamics in a global macroeconomic framework by utilising time‐series data from Pakistan and thirty‐two trading partners which account for around 95 per cent of foreign trade of Pakistan, over the period 1979Q2–2016Q4. By featuring the GVAR approach, this paper empirically examined the international linkages to account for cross‐country inflationary spillovers. The findings show that both foreign and global variables jointly and significantly matter for the inflation‐output relationship in developing economies, in general and, in particular, in the economy of Pakistan. The findings from general impulse response functions (GIRF) reveal that shocks to the US real output, oil prices and food prices are transmitted and settled quickly, and put forward a significant impact on real GDP and inflation in Pakistan and its trading partner economies. Inflation in Pakistan is driven more strongly by the global changes in oil and food prices than GDP. For monetary policy formulation, the central bank should take into account developments in inflation‐output dynamics of Pakistan's major trading partners.

Distributed Control for Nonlinear Time-Delay Multiagent Systems: Hybrid Saturation-Constraint Impulsive Approach.

This article mainly studies the problem of impulse consensus of multiagent systems under communication constraints and time delay. Considering the limited communication bandwidth of the agent, global and partial saturation constraints are considered. In addition, so as to further improve communication efficiency by reducing communication frequency, the novel control protocol combining event-triggered strategy and general impulse control protocol is proposed. Under this kind of novel control protocol, the communication frequency of multiagent systems can be reduced while avoiding "Zeno behavior." Through theoretical analysis, sufficient conditions for the systems to achieve consensus are obtained for the above two saturation constraint cases. In the end, the effectiveness of the novel protocols is proved by providing two different simulation instances.

Does Childhood Trauma Predict Impulsive Spending in Later Life? An Analysis of the Mediating Roles of Impulsivity and Emotion Regulation

We sought to investigate whether adverse childhood experiences increase impulsive spending in later life, and whether emotion dysregulation and impulsivity mediate this association. Limited research has examined associations between these factors, and examining the mechanisms involved may inform interventions for impulsive spending. This study used a cross-sectional, correlational design including 189 adult participants who completed an online survey assessing childhood trauma, adverse childhood experiences, impulsive spending, impulsivity, and emotion dysregulation. Greater adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma were positively correlated with impulsive spending, as well as general impulsivity and emotion dysregulation. Mediation analyses indicated that emotion dysregulation and greater impulsivity accounted for the positive relationship between childhood trauma and impulse spending. Adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma are associated with increased risk of impulse spending in adulthood via elevated general impulsivity and emotion dysregulation.

Connectedness analysis of oil price shocks, inflation, and exchange rate for the MENA region countries

The relation among energy prices, exchange rates and inflation has been perturbed in the recent past by both the COVID-19 shock, which resulted in a sharp downturn of the economic activity at the beginning of 2020 and the Ukraine crisis, which resulted in sharp increase in energy prices and then inflation at the beginning of 2022. This is the first paper to analyze this relation for the MENA region, conducting an empirical estimation of a VARX model on monthly data from Jan 2010 to Dec 2022 for the main 11 MENA countries. The model includes asymmetric effects, a detailed contagion analysis, conducted with the methodology à la Pesaran - Pick (2007) to identify periods of high volatility, and presents a spillover analysis à la Diebold - Yılmaz (2014), used to measure the connectedness of the three main variables.The novelties of the paper are the construction of a country specific oil portfolio; the asymmetric analysis of oil shocks and contagion; the measurement of the general impulse response spillover, to ascertain the intensity and direction of volatility spillovers. The empirical results show that: (i) the specific oil prices considered for each country induce different effects; (ii) the oil price changes effect depends on the direction and period of the shock; (iii) there are asymmetric contagion effects for exchange rate and inflation only for some countries. Finally, some policy implications are presented based on the spillover connectedness analysis, especially considering the post Covid period.

Characterizing motor impulsivity of individuals classified as overweight to obese

Deficits in the impulse control system are an important predictor of energy intake and body weight. Adults classified as overweight to obese may possess these deficits as a general behavioral trait or they may be food-specific. The present study assessed motor impulsivity (ability to suppress a pre-potent response) when presented with food and neutral (non-food) cues, testing if deficits in motor impulsivity is specific to food cues or a general trait among participants classified as overweight to obese. The proportion of inhibitory failures to no-go targets following food cues (10.8%) was significantly greater than the proportion of inhibitory failures to no-go targets following neutral cues (1.9%, p ​< ​0.001). These differences remained when covering for sex and hunger. This indicates deficits in food-specific impulse control (as opposed to general impulse control) are present in those classified as overweight to obese. Understanding the specific aspect of impulse control that is present in this population is needed for the development of future impulse control training interventions that seek to change eating behaviors as a means for weight control.

Psychometric properties of the UPPS-P in Chilean adolescents and adults in treatment

The UPPS-P impulsivity scale has been used extensively to examine the association of impulsivity facets with psychiatric disorders, including substance use and related problems. However, it is still unclear if the original five-factor conceptualization of impulsivity constitutes the best model of its factor structure. The current study developed an adaptation of the original 59-item version of the UPPS-P for use with Chilean population and examined its factor structure in general-population adolescents (N = 838) and adults in substance use treatment (N = 316). Results indicated that all models had poor fit to the data, but Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling yielded 3-factor and hierarchical models that were adequate in capturing the underlying structure of the UPPS-P. Both the unidimensional and bifactor models were discarded, indicating that a general impulsivity factor is not supported, reinforcing the heterogenous nature of impulsivity as a construct. In addition, associations of UPPS-P facets with substance use-related problems suggest that it might be useful in clinical populations.

Behavioural biases in the interaction with food objects in virtual reality and its clinical implication for binge eating disorder

Cognitive processes play a central role in the development, maintenance and remission in mental disorders, like in Binge Eating Disorder (BED). Insights into cognitive mechanisms reflected by embodied interaction with food and its connections to clinically relevant psychopathology offer new possibilities for translational diagnostics and interventions. We longitudinally investigated the manual interaction with food in a virtual reality (VR) in 31 patients with BED. Patients were assessed at baseline before participating in a randomized-controlled trial (RCT) investigating a computer-based inhibitory control training programme enhanced by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and at a 6-week follow-up. At both assessments, an experimental VR paradigm was conducted and patients were characterized concerning eating disorder psychopathology, eating behaviour, general impulsivity and food craving. In the experimental task, one of two simultaneously presented objects (food vs. office tools) had to be collected. Food was recognized faster than office tools and subsequent approach behaviour was initiated faster, whereas thereafter, food was collected slower than office tools. Exploratory, we could not find a modulatory effect of applied tDCS on the interaction with food. No relationship between behavioural biases and sample characterizations could be detected. Two different stages in the manual interaction with food were found: a faster first stage that comprises recognition and movement initiation and a slower second stage that comprises controlled handling and may reflect aversive motivational processes. As the behavioural patterns do not change with an ameliorated BED-psychopathology at the second assessment, the task seems insensitive in detecting translational interconnections between behavioural biases and BED-characteristics.Level of evidence: Level I, experimental study.

Impulsivity and aggression in patients at risk for schizophrenia at the stage of remission after the first depressive episode

To study the phenomenon of impulsivity, its components and aggression in patients at risk for schizophrenia at the stage of remission after the first depressive episode. Forty-eight male patients (mean age 19.4±2.9 years) with the first depressive episode (ICD-10 F32.1, F32.2) with attenuated positive, negative and/or disorganized symptoms were examined. According to the severity of impulsivity, the patients were divided into the clinical group (n=26) with pathological impulsivity and the comparison group (n=27) without it. The control group consisted of 41 mentally healthy young men, students of higher education of 1-3 courses, (mean age 19.7±1.6 years). HDRS, SOPS, SANS, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) were used. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Statistica 12 software. The differences between the clinical group and the comparison group were determined by the total score of the subscale of general symptoms of SOPS at admission (53 [41.75; 56] and 45.5 [41.75; 51.25], respectively) (U=187.5; p=0.037) and at discharge (28 [19; 37] and 25 [17.75; 29.25] points respectively) (U=166.5; p=0.012), according to the total HDRS score at admission (35 [31; 38] and 29 [26; 34.25]) (U=191.0; p=0.046). In the clinical group, the motor component of impulsivity and the factor of general impulsivity on the BIS-11 correlated with the severity of aggression on the BPAQ (r=0.395, p<0.05 and r=0.635, p<0.05, respectively). Significant differences were revealed in the clinical group depending on the presence of negative symptoms on the corresponding SOPS subscale according to the total BPAQ score (p=0.01). Correlation analysis showed numerous connections: positive between the total aggressiveness score and the duration of depression (p<0.05), negative between the factors of self-control, consistency, attention, and total scores on the SANS and SOPS (p<0.05). We identify the differences in the structure of impulsivity in patients at risk of developing schizophrenia at the stage of remission after the first depressive state, the comparison group and the control group, as well as the relationship of impulsivity factors with individual clusters of psychopathological disorders.

Discounting and Executive functions as indicators of methamphetamine use in adolescents and adults

Abstract &#x0D; Meth-users have shown low performance in some executive functions tasks. This low performance can entail problems of control behavior, and increased impulsivity such as preference the small reward over the large delayed one. The current study was aimed to evaluate the performance in three executive tasks (shifting, updating and inhibition), and four discounting tasks (delay and probability) of gains and losses by meth-users and non-users. We worked with 40 male adults (20 meth-users and 20 non-users), and 32 male adolescents (20 meth-users and 12 non-users). We found with CART algorithm that inhibition, updating and probability discounting tasks were the good predictors to identify non users and meth-users. Our general conclusion is the executive functions: Inhibition and Updating are related with cognitive issues due to drug use in a developing brain, and the discounting tasks do not reflect a general impulsivity trait.

Covid-19 and mobile payment in Belgium: Closing the digital divide or just for the young, social, and impulsive?

Experts and industry reports agree that the COVID-19 crisis spurred the adoption of new retail technologies, like mobile payment. However, empirical academic evidence that compares their adoption and usage before, during, and after the crisis remains scarce. So far, academic mobile payment research has focussed almost entirely on the different building blocks of technological acceptance models, like perceived usefulness and ease of use, and their role in explaining intention to use. We need to learn more about the profile of the actual user. In this Belgian study, we investigate the evolution in mobile adoption based on survey data from 2019 to 2020 (2019: N = 897; 2020: N = 895). We examine differences in the profile of mobile payers in terms of their socio-demographics, retail, and social media behaviours. The pandemic triggered a clear uplift in mobile payment users between 2019 to 2020. Nonetheless, striking differences in socio-demographic profile and retail patronage remain. Our data shows that there is still inequality in adoption, related to age and social grade. We also observe a clear association between general impulse buying tendency and mobile payment. The link between internet/online shopping and mobile payment is firmly established. Finally, mobile adoption is related to the use of Instagram and Facebook. Consequences for retailers, researchers and public officers are further discussed.

“France takes Possession of the West”: The Council at Sault Ste-Marie, 1671

By a ceremony of prise de possession held at Sault Ste-Marie in June 1671, a subdelegate of the intendant named Daumont de St-Lusson formally laid claim to the North American interior for France. This incident is frequently cited in early American literature and consistently misunderstood. Though he purported to act in the name of Louis XIV, St-Lusson was actually engaged in a somewhat shady fur trading operation, in defiance of the governor of New France and against the wishes of imperial authorities. The general impulse to expand into the west came from Canadian traders, missionaries, and colonial officials; and the specific origins of St-Lusson’s expedition lay in a competition for spoils pitting the governor against the intendant. “France” as embodied by the king and his naval minister, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, sought to consolidate its hold on the St. Lawrence Valley, avoiding any spatial dispersal of efforts. This article demonstrates that “the French” did not form a monolith with a unified, centrally directed approach to colonialism. Instead, the Sault Ste-Marie case illustrates the complex dynamics of imperial expansion, which typically involves metropolitan governments, colonists on the periphery, and Indigenous peoples, all pursuing divergent interests in fluid circumstances.

The problem of US international obligations after withdrawal from Afghanistan: Is America ready to defend Taiwan?

The article is devoted to the study of the evolution of US foreign policy towards the Taiwan problem during the administration of Donald Trump and the beginning of Joe Biden’s presidency. The situation in the Taiwan Strait is analysed in the article in the context of the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan in August 2021. Despite the very specific selection of the administration’s personnel and the general impulsiveness of President Trump’s political decisions, his vision of the Taiwan problem coincided with a long-ripening desire in the ranks of the American political elite to get rid of self-restraint in relations with Taiwan in order to avoid open conflict with China. A result of the deterioration of US-China relations and Trump’s related pro-Taiwan initiatives was high tension in the Taiwan Strait zone, and a decrease of international support for Taiwan. At the same time, the complete destruction of the traditional American “policy of strategic ambiguity” still did not occur. Biden’s first steps have shown that while maintaining the appearance of a tough “Trump” approach to the problem, he is intent on stabilizing the situation around Taiwan. The new president seeks to maintain the level of ties with Taiwan achieved under Trump, while avoiding rash and provocative decisions. Overall, it can be argued that Taiwan is increasingly moving into the focus of American foreign policy. The withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan will not only not lead to a decrease in the level of American guarantees in the Taiwan Strait, but, on the contrary, it will make it possible to attract new resources here.

The sooner the better: clinical and neural correlates of impulsive choice in Tourette disorder

Reward sensitivity has been suggested as one of the central pathophysiological mechanisms in Tourette disorder. However, the subjective valuation of a reward by introduction of delay has received little attention in Tourette disorder, even though it has been suggested as a trans-diagnostic feature of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders. We aimed to assess delay discounting in Tourette disorder and to identify its brain functional correlates. We evaluated delayed discounting and its brain functional correlates in a large group of 54 Tourette disorder patients and 31 healthy controls using a data-driven approach. We identified a subgroup of 29 patients with steeper reward discounting, characterised by a higher burden of impulse-control disorders and a higher level of general impulsivity compared to patients with normal behavioural performance or to controls. Reward discounting was underpinned by resting-state activity of a network comprising the orbito-frontal, cingulate, pre-supplementary motor area, temporal and insular cortices, as well as ventral striatum and hippocampus. Within this network, (i) lower connectivity of pre-supplementary motor area with ventral striatum predicted a higher impulsivity and a steeper reward discounting and (ii) a greater connectivity of pre-supplementary motor area with anterior insular cortex predicted steeper reward discounting and more severe tics. Overall, our results highlight the heterogeneity of the delayed reward processing in Tourette disorder, with steeper reward discounting being a marker of burden in impulsivity and impulse control disorders, and the pre-supplementary motor area being a hub region for the delay discounting, impulsivity and tic severity.

Relationship between impulsivity, uncontrolled eating and body mass index: a hierarchical model.

Impulsivity increases the risk for obesity and weight gain. However, the precise role of impulsivity in the aetiology of overeating behavior and obesity is currently unknown. Here we examined the relationships between personality-related measures of impulsivity, Uncontrolled Eating, body mass index (BMI), and longitudinal weight changes. In addition, we analyzed the associations between general impulsivity domains and cortical thickness to elucidate brain vulnerability factors related to weight gain. Students (N = 2318) in their first year of university-a risky period for weight gain-completed questionnaire measures of impulsivity and eating behavior at the beginning of the school year. We also collected their weight at the end of the term (N = 1177). Impulsivity was divided into three factors: stress reactivity, reward sensitivity and lack of self-control. Using structural equation models, we tested a hierarchical relationship, in which impulsivity traits were associated with Uncontrolled Eating, which in turn predicted BMI and weight change. Seventy-one participants underwent T1-weighted MRI to investigate the correlation between impulsivity and cortical thickness. Impulsivity traits showed positive correlations with Uncontrolled Eating. Higher scores in Uncontrolled Eating were in turn associated with higher BMI. None of the impulsivity-related measurements nor Uncontrolled Eating were correlated with longitudinal weight gain. Higher stress sensitivity was associated with increased cortical thickness in the superior temporal gyrus. Lack of self-control was positively associated with increased thickness in the superior medial frontal gyrus. Finally, higher reward sensitivity was associated with lower thickness in the inferior frontal gyrus. The present study provides a comprehensive characterization of the relationships between different facets of impulsivity and obesity. We show that differences in impulsivity domains might be associated with BMI via Uncontrolled Eating. Our results might inform future clinical strategies aimed at fostering self-control abilities to prevent and/or treat unhealthy weight gain.

Recognition of Customers’ Impulsivity from Behavioral Patterns in Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) in retailing (V-commerce) has been proven to enhance the consumer experience. Thus, this technology is beneficial to study behavioral patterns by offering the opportunity to infer customers’ personality traits based on their behavior. This study aims to recognize impulsivity using behavioral patterns. For this goal, 60 subjects performed three tasks—one exploration task and two planned tasks—in a virtual market. Four noninvasive signals (eye-tracking, navigation, posture, and interactions), which are available in commercial VR devices, were recorded, and a set of features were extracted and categorized into zonal, general, kinematic, temporal, and spatial types. They were input into a support vector machine classifier to recognize the impulsivity of the subjects based on the I-8 questionnaire, achieving an accuracy of 87%. The results suggest that, while the exploration task can reveal general impulsivity, other subscales such as perseverance and sensation-seeking are more related to planned tasks. The results also show that posture and interaction are the most informative signals. Our findings validate the recognition of customer impulsivity using sensors incorporated into commercial VR devices. Such information can provide a personalized shopping experience in future virtual shops.

Amos, Jonah and Micah

Amos, Jonah and Micah

Paroxysmal impulse vibration phenomena and mechanism of a dual–rotor system with an outer raceway defect of the inter-shaft bearing

This paper focuses on the dynamic phenomena, physical mechanism and occurrence condition of paroxysmal impulse vibrations in a dual-rotor system with inter-shaft bearing defect. The equations of motion of the dual-rotor system are established considering the force model for the inter-shaft bearing with an outer raceway defect. The fourth order Runge-Kutta method is adopted to investigate the vibration acceleration signals of the rotor system. The results show that there are paroxysmal impulse vibration phenomena when the dual-rotor system reaches some special rotation speed ratios. The time-domain waveforms, Hilbert envelope spectrums and inter-shaft bearing contact force curves of paroxysmal impulse vibrations are markedly distinguished from those of general impulse vibrations. The physical reason of paroxysmal impulse vibration phenomena is that the inter-shaft bearing loading position and defect position are intermittently anti-phase. It is found that the paroxysmal impulse vibration phenomena will occur if the rotation frequency of the high-pressure rotor (HP rotor) is equal to the fractional or multiple defect frequencies of the dual-rotor system. Based on this finding, an analytical formula related to the rotation speed ratio is derived, which can well predict the occurrence condition of paroxysmal impulse vibrations. At last, according to the guidance of the analytical formula, 6 experimental cases are executed, proving the dynamic phenomena and occurrence condition of the paroxysmal impulse vibrations.

General impulsivity in binge-eating disorder.

The nature and significance of impulse-control difficulties in binge-eating disorder (BED) are uncertain. Most emerging research has focused on food-specific rather than general impulsivity. The current study examines the clinical presentation of patients with BED categorized with and without clinical levels of general impulsivity. A total of 343 consecutive treatment-seeking patients with BED were categorized as having BED with general impulsivity (GI+; N=73) or BED without general impulsivity (GI-: N=270) based on structured diagnostic and clinical interviews. The groups were compared on demographic, developmental, and psychological features, and on rates of psychiatric and personality comorbidity. Individuals with BED and general impulsivity (GI+) reported greater severity of eating-disorder psychopathology, greater depressive symptoms, and greater rates of comorbidity than those without general impulsivity (GI-). A subtype of individuals with BED and general impulsivity may signal a more severe presentation of BED characterized by heightened and broader psychopathology. Future work should investigate whether these impulse-control difficulties relate to treatment outcomes.