Impulsivity In Adolescents Research Articles

Behavioral measures of impulsivity and compulsivity in adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury.

BackgroundNonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is prevalent among adolescents and research is needed to clarify the mechanisms which contribute to the behavior. Here, the authors relate behavioral neurocognitive measures of impulsivity and compulsivity to repetitive and sporadic NSSI in a community sample of adolescents.MethodsComputerized laboratory tasks (Affective Go/No-Go, Cambridge Gambling Task, and Probabilistic Reversal Task) were used to evaluate cognitive performance. Participants were adolescents aged 15 to 17 with (n = 50) and without (n = 190) NSSI history, sampled from the ROOTS project which recruited adolescents from secondary schools in Cambridgeshire, UK. NSSI was categorized as sporadic (1-3 instances per year) or repetitive (4 or more instances per year). Analyses were carried out in a series of linear and negative binomial regressions, controlling for age, gender, intelligence, and recent depressive symptoms.ResultsAdolescents with lifetime NSSI, and repetitive NSSI specifically, made significantly more perseverative errors on the Probabilistic Reversal Task and exhibited significantly lower quality of decision making on the Cambridge Gambling Task compared to no-NSSI controls. Those with sporadic NSSI did not significantly differ from no-NSSI controls on task performance. NSSI was not associated with behavioral measures of impulsivity.ConclusionsRepetitive NSSI is associated with increased behavioral compulsivity and disadvantageous decision making, but not with behavioral impulsivity. Future research should continue to investigate how neurocognitive phenotypes contribute to the onset and maintenance of NSSI, and determine whether compulsivity and addictive features of NSSI are potential targets for treatment.

Non-suicidal self-injury and impulsivity: Study of inibithory control in adolescent population

IntroductionNon-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a clinical condition defined as intentional, self-inflicted act causing pain or superficial damage without suicidal intents (12-35% of the adolescent community). Several findings show a high correlation between NSSI and impairments in the impulsivity control.ObjectivesThe goal of our study is to evaluate the role of impulsivity in NSSI adolescents, relatively to the inhibitory control, in order to investigate if it can represent a neurocognitive risk factor underlying maladaptive behaviours and which psychopathological dimensions can be associated with this neurobiological process.Methods30 NNSI inpatients (age range: 12 to 18 years), drug-free, were compared with an age-matched control group, using two behavioural paradigms for the study of inhibitory control: the Stop Signal task and the emotive go/Nogo. Psychopathological traits were evaluated by self-report questionnaires for impulsivity dimensions, suicidality and self-injurious acts. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS program (p =0.05).ResultsNSSI patients did not present impairments in the global inhibitory control but they had longer movement times in both paradigms and faster reaction times in the Go/no-go behavioural paradigm. Therefore, NSSI patients tended to be impulsive at an early stage of movement (rapid TR) and have to slow down in a second phase (TM slow) in order to have time to rework the cognitive processes underlying movement.ConclusionsThe impulsivity dimension is a complex construct that involves multiple interconnected factors. The study of neuro-cognitive and psychopathological aspects and how they are interconnected is necessary to draw new perspectives on the etiopathogenesis of NNSI.

Developmental lead exposure and adult criminal behavior: A 30-year prospective birth cohort study

Using a variety of research designs and measures of lead absorption, numerous studies link childhood lead exposure to a range of cognitive and behavioral deficits, including low IQ, impulsivity, juvenile delinquency, and criminal behavior in adolescence and early adulthood. In this study, we tested the association between multiple measures of blood lead concentration assessed in childhood with criminal behavior in adulthood and across the life-course. Prospective data from the Cincinnati Lead Study (CLS) included blood lead measures quarterly across the first 78 months of life and the number of times a person was arrested across the life-course (from age 18 to 33 years) and in later adulthood (age 27 to 33 years). Childhood blood lead concentration prospectively predicted variation in adult arrests and arrests over the life-course, indicating lead absorption is implicated in the etiology of crime—especially in geographic areas where environmental sources of lead are more prevalent and concentrated. Efforts to decrease lead exposure in both developed and developing countries should be part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce social dislocation and crime.

Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Based Music Therapy in Korean Adolescents with Smartphone and Internet Addiction.

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of adding music therapy (MT) to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) on symptoms of smartphone/internet addiction and psychiatric comorbidities. Methods Overall, 155 patients diagnosed with addiction were assigned to either the CBT-MT group or CBT group. Both groups received CBT for 8 weeks, while the CBT-MT group received additional MT. The intervention was completed by 67 and 71 participants in the CBT-MT and CBT groups, respectively. Results The total scores of Young Internet Addiction Scale (YIAT) and Smartphone Addiction Proneness Scale (SAPS) decreased significantly (p<0.001 for both) in both groups, while the total scores of State Anxiety Inventory for Children (SAIC) (p<0.001), Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (TAIC) (p<0.001), Conners-Wells’ Adolescent Self-Report Scale-Short form (CASS(S)) (p=0.048), and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11) (p<0.001) decreased only in the CBT-MT group. The decrements in YIAT (p=0.025), SAIC (p=0.043), TAIC (p=0.011), and BIS-11 (p=0.012) in the CBT-MT group were significantly greater than those in the CBT group. Conclusion Combined MT and CBT improved the symptoms of smartphone/internet addiction, anxiety, and impulsivity in adolescents. This combination could therefore be an effective treatment of smartphone or internet addiction along with behavioral disorders such as anxiety and impulsivity.

Psychometric Properties of the Turkish Version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-Brief in Adolescents.

Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-Brief (BIS-Brief) is a self-report scale that can be used to measure impulsivity in adolescents. In this study, it was aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the BIS-Brief in clinical and non-clinical adolescent samples. The study included two groups of 116 psychiatric outpatients and 175 middle and high school students. For the re-test study, a small subgroup of the patient group (n=21) was re-applied BIS-Brief three weeks later. Socio-demographic data of the participants were collected. Aggression subscale of Childhood Behavior Checklist (CBCL), hyperactivity/impulsivity and anger control problems subscales of Conners-Wells' Adolescents Self-Report Scale-Long (CASS-L), and hyperactivity subscale of Conner's Parent Rating Scale-Short Form (CPRS-S) were administered. The mean ages of the patient and control groups were 15.22±1.58 years and 15.16±1.86 years, respectively. There were 77 (66.4%) males in the patient group and 107 (61.1%) males in the control group. Cronbach's alphas for internal consistency were 0.78 (patient group) and 0.70 (control group). Three weeks test-retest reliability was 0.64 (patient group). We found a two-dimensional structure for the Turkish BIS-Brief. The BIS-Brief scores had a significant correlation with the scores of CBCL's aggression subscale (r=0.48; p<0.01), CASS-L's hyperactivity/impulsivity (r=0.45; p<0.01) and anger control problems subscales (r=0.45; p<0.01) and CPRS-S' hyperactivity subscale (r=0.21; p<0.01). Our findings suggest that the Turkish version of the BIS-Brief is a reliable and valid measure for clinical and non-clinical adolescent samples. In addition, the results show that the BIS-Brief has a two-dimensional model in contrast to the unidimensional structure of the original scale.

Risky Decision Making and Impulsivity in Adolescents’ Chess Players: Does Chess Modify or Induce Risky Decisions?

Objective:Our main goal in this study was to evaluate impulsivity and risky decision making in adolescents’ intermediate-expert chess players and compare them with non-players. We also looked at the relationship between impulsivity and risky decision making in the two groups. Method: Present study employed a comparative-correlational method which was performed in 2019 in Tehran. Based on previous research, 55 chess players (14-17 years old) and 79 non-players (13-17 years old) participated in the study. Impulsivity was measured by the Go/no-go task and risky decision making was assessed via the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Independent t-test and Pearson Correlation Coefficient were used for statistical analysis. Results: There were no significant differences between groups regarding age or education. In the go/no go task, there were significant differences between groups in commission error, omission error and inhibition subscales. In the IGT, the we observed significant differences between groups in net score, raw score and ratio of advantageous/disadvantageous choices subscales. In both groups, net score, raw scores and ratio of advantageous/disadvantageous choices were negatively correlated with commission error. Additionally, omission error was positively correlated with inhibition subscale. We found that the relationship between impulsivity and risky decision making was stronger in non-chess players than chess players. Conclusion: The results of this study might put chess in the spotlight as an option to improve impulsivity and risky decision making in clinical settings.

Reward-predictive cues elicit excessive reward seeking in adolescent rats

Impulsive behavior during adolescence may stem from developmental imbalances between motivational and cognitive-control systems, producing greater urges to pursue reward and weakened capacities to inhibit such actions. Here, we developed a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) protocol to assay rats’ ability to suppress cue-motivated reward seeking based on changes in reward expectancy. Traditionally, PIT studies focus on how reward-predictive cues motivate instrumental reward-seeking behavior (lever pressing). However, cues signaling imminent reward delivery also elicit countervailing focal-search responses (food-port entry). We first examined how reward expectancy (cue-reward probability) influences expression of these competing behaviors. Adult male rats increased rates of lever pressing when presented with cues signaling lower probabilities of reward but focused their activity at the food cup on trials with cues that signaled higher probabilities of reward. We then compared adolescent and adult male rats in their responsivity to cues signaling different reward probabilities. In contrast to adults, adolescent rats did not flexibly adjust patterns of responding based on the expected likelihood of reward delivery but increased their rate of lever pressing for both weak and strong cues. These findings indicate that control over cue-motivated behavior is fundamentally dysregulated during adolescence, providing a model for studying neurobiological mechanisms of adolescent impulsivity.

Supplemental Material for Adolescent Executive Cognitive Functioning and Trait Impulsivity as Predictors of Young-Adult Risky Drinking and Alcohol-Related Problems

Supplemental Material for Adolescent Executive Cognitive Functioning and Trait Impulsivity as Predictors of Young-Adult Risky Drinking and Alcohol-Related Problems

Impulsivity as a predictor of self-harm onset and maintenance in young adolescents: a longitudinal prospective study

BackgroundRates of self-harm in young adolescents are increasing and self-harm typically emerges at this developmental stage. Greater specificity of impulsivity as a multifaceted construct is enabling investigation of links between individual impulsivity facets and self-harm outcomes. However, studies have yet to adequately explore these associations in young adolescents, and prospective relationships between multidimensional impulsivity and self-harm in younger adolescents remain untested. This study investigates unidimensional facets of impulsivity as risk-factors for the emergence and maintenance of self-harm, specifically within young community-based adolescents. MethodsA school-based sample of 594 adolescents (aged 13-15 years) provided data at two time points, 12 weeks apart. Logistic regression analyses determined associations between impulsivity-related facets (as delineated by the UPPS-P scale) and self-harm outcomes over time. ResultsOverall, 23.6% of young people reported lifetime self-harm. A higher tendency towards Sensation Seeking was associated with self-harm onset over the study-period (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.017-1.401). Deficits in Premeditation predicted maintained (versus remitted) self-harm behaviour during this time (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.013-1.328). Negative Urgency was a significant cross-sectional correlate, but did not offer prospective predictive utility. LimitationsThe study relied on self-report. Interpretations are cautious given low incidence of self-harm outcomes over the course of the study. ConclusionsSeparate pathways to impulsive behaviour describe the psychological context in which self-harm starts and develops in young people. Findings support differential treatment targets and developmentally-focused early intervention. The predictive utility of impulsivity was inconsistent between cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, underlining the role for temporality in the establishment of risk of self-harm.

Efficacy of adjunctive Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills in Childhood and Adolescent Dissociative Disorders: An open-label pilot study

Background: Dissociative disorder is very common among children and adolescents. Dissociation is primarily caused by a stress reaction. Stressful situations can worsen symptoms and cause problems with functioning in everyday activities. Early identification and therapeutic intervention appear to be particularly efficacious in children in contrast to adults. Aim: The current open-label pilot study aimed to examine the efficacy of adjunctive Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills in improving dissociative symptoms along with other psychopathology- depression, anxiety, coping, impulsivity and emotion dysregulation in adolescents with Dissociative disorders. Methods: This was a hospital-based pilot, open-label trial based on purposive sampling. The study consisted of five adolescents aged between 12 to 17 years of age. Three were female, and two were male. Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents, Standard progressive matrices, Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Version 11, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Childhood Depression Inventory, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and Adolescent-Coping Orientation for Problem Experiences were administered as outcome measures. Participants received the DBT skills training module individually for eight weeks. Pre-post measurements were taken, and data was analysed using SPSS. Results: Findings suggested a significant improvement in overall dissociative symptoms over a period of eight weeks of DBT skills therapy. There was also a significant improvement in depressive symptoms, anxiety, impulsivity, coping, and emotion regulation high effect size over the eight weeks of the study period. Conclusion: DBT skills module for Adolescents was found to be effective therapeutic management for dissociative disorder. Results indicate viable resources and pathways for future development are suggested.

Investigation of the relationship of substance use disorders with hopelessness, anxiety sensitivity, impulsivity and sensation seeking personality traits in adolescents (eng)

Investigation of the relationship of substance use disorders with hopelessness, anxiety sensitivity, impulsivity and sensation seeking personality traits in adolescents (eng)

External environment and internal state in relation to life-history behavioural profiles of adolescents in nine countries.

The external environment has traditionally been considered as the primary driver of animal life history (LH). Recent research suggests that animals' internal state is also involved, especially in forming LH behavioural phenotypes. The present study investigated how these two factors interact in formulating LH in humans. Based on a longitudinal sample of 1223 adolescents in nine countries, the results show that harsh and unpredictable environments and adverse internal states in childhood are each uniquely associated with fast LH behavioural profiles consisting of aggression, impulsivity, and risk-taking in adolescence. The external environment and internal state each strengthened the LH association of the other, but overall the external environment was more predictive of LH than was the internal state. These findings suggest that individuals rely on a multitude and consistency of sensory information in more decisively calibrating LH and behavioural strategies.

The Mediating Role of Coping Styles on Impulsivity, Behavioral Inhibition/Approach System, and Internet Addiction in Adolescents From a Gender Perspective.

Previous findings have shown that impulsivity and Behavioral Inhibition/Approach System (BIS/BAS) have substantial effects on adolescents’ Internet addiction, but the mechanisms underlying these associations and gender differences in these effects have received little attention. We examined the mediating effects of coping styles from impulsivity, and BIS/BAS to Internet addiction as well as gender differences in these associations. A total of 416 Chinese adolescents were examined using a cross-sectional survey involving Young’s Diagnostic Questionnaire for Internet Addiction, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, BIS/BAS scales, and Coping Style Scale for Middle School Students. The data were analyzed using the independent sample t-test, chi-square test, Pearson correlation, and structure equation modeling. The results from the multiple-group (by adolescent gender) structural model analysis revealed that both impulsivity (p < 0.001) and BIS (p = 0.001) directly predicted positive Internet addiction in girls, while both impulsivity (p = 0.011) and BAS (p = 0.048) directly predicted positive Internet addiction in boys. Furthermore, emotion-focused coping mediated the relationship between impulsivity and Internet addiction (β = 0.080, 95% CI: 0.023–0.168) and the relationship between BIS and Internet addiction (β = 0.064, 95% CI: 0.013–0.153) in girls, while in boys, problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping mediated the association between impulsivity and Internet addiction (β = 0.118, 95% CI: 0.031–0.251; β = 0.065, 95% CI: 0.010–0.160, respectively) and problem-focused coping mediated the association between BAS and Internet addiction [β = −0.058, 95% CI: (−0.142)–(−0.003)]. These findings extend our insight into the mechanisms underlying the associations among impulsivity, BIS/BAS, and Internet addiction in adolescents and suggest that gender-sensitive training approaches to decrease adolescents’ Internet addiction are indispensable. These interventions should focus on the different gender predictors of adolescent Internet addiction and on the development of specific coping styles for boys and girls respectively.

Parental rejection and adolescent problematic mobile phone use: Mediating and moderating roles of school engagement and impulsivity

There is a large gap in knowledge about the potential mediators by which parental rejection is associated with adolescents’ problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) and the potential moderators that exacerbate or attenuate this association. The current study tested whether school engagement was a possible internal mechanism in this association, and whether this mediating effect varied depending on adolescent impulsivity. A sample of 787 adolescents completed anonymous questionnaires regarding parental rejection, school engagement, impulsivity, and PMPU. As hypothesized, structural equation models showed that parental rejection was positively associated with PMPU, and low school engagement mediated this association. Meanwhile, impulsivity moderated the first and second stages of the indirect effect: It was only in the highly impulsive group of adolescents that parental rejection was significantly associated with low school engagement, and low school engagement was associated with PMPU. Identifying the processes by which parental rejection is associated with adolescents’ PMPU has important implications for developing an integrative framework of theory and prevention.

Impulsivity and time perspective in Adolescents

Impulsivity and time perspective in Adolescents

Impact of Family and Friends on Antisocial Adolescent Behavior: The Mediating Role of Impulsivity and Empathy.

Adolescence is an especially risky phase for the appearance of antisocial behaviors. Antisocial behavior produces significant individual and social harms, so it is important to provide keys for prevention and treatment. To do that, it is essential to identify the main predictors. The objective of this study is to analyze the effect of family (affection and communication, behavioral control) and friends (antisocial friendships) on adolescent antisocial behavior, as well as the mediating role of adolescent impulsivity and empathy on these relationships. Previously validated questionnaires measuring parental affection and communication, and behavioral control, as well as adolescent impulsivity, empathy, antisocial friendships, and antisocial behavior were applied to 3199 adolescents in Asturias (Spain), aged between 11 and 18 (M = 14.03; SD = 1.39). Descriptive, correlational, and structural equation analysis were performed. Antisocial friendships were a risk factor for antisocial behavior in adolescence, with a moderate effect size. The effect is mostly direct, although it is also indirect through the positive relationship with adolescent impulsivity and low empathy. The two analyzed parenting style dimensions (affection and communication, and behavioral control) demonstrate a protective effect, albeit small, on adolescent antisocial behavior. There is a direct protective effect, but it is mostly indirect through the negative relationship with antisocial friendships and low adolescent empathy. Parental behavioral control can be a risk factor for antisocial behavior, through the positive relationship with adolescent impulsivity. This study helps to clarify the causal mechanisms of antisocial behavior in adolescence, as a basis for its prevention and treatment.

Are Impulsive Adolescents Differentially Vulnerable to Normative or Situational Peer Influences? A Partial Replication Study

Ample research in criminology investigates the role of deviant peers in the development of adolescent offending. Different theoretical explanations account for distinct peer influences. The socialization perspective argues that deviant peers influence behavior through the provision of norms and values, whereas the situational perspective argues that deviant peers provide situational opportunities for deviant behavior. This study partially retests the propositions put forward by Thomas and McGloin’s study of dual systems, differential peer effects, and adolescent offending. We address the question to what extent trait impulsivity affects social and situational peer processes controlling for parental supervision, family bond, school bond, and deviant norms. Analysis of the cross-national International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD3) data suggests that adolescents at the edges of trait impulsivity are differentially vulnerable to the effects of deviant peer processes. However, the findings need to be nuanced. We discuss the contribution of the current study to a better understanding of the interplay between individual characteristics and exposure to deviant peers.

Standardized instruments to assess the relationship between impulsivity and risk behaviors in adolescents: systematic review

A impulsividade, propria da adolescencia, e marcada por um aumento de comportamen-tos de risco (CR), que podem estar associados a desfechos negativos na vida. Para conhe-cer instrumentos de avaliacao padronizados voltados para adolescentes, em estudos que avaliam a relacao entre impulsividade e comportamento de risco (sexo de risco e uso de drogas ilicitas e alcool) foi conduzida uma revisao sistematica. As bases de dados acessa-das foram PsycINFO, Web of Science, SCOPUS e BVS-Psi de janeiro/2006 a outubro/2018. Destaca-se o uso de escalas e inventarios, uma possivel associacao positiva entre os cons-trutos e um consenso quanto ao fato de que o periodo inicial da adolescencia e o mo-mento de inicio do uso de alcool e drogas, assim como de sexo sem protecao. Foi possi-vel tracar um panorama das diferentes maneiras de avalia-los, o que e util para a pratica de profissionais que trabalham com esse tema.

Investigation on the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Effect on Infatuation and Impulsivity in Adolescents.

IntroductionIn this study, we proposed to investigate the association between infatuation/passionate love and impulsivity in a context of potential high impulsivity: adolescents with attention deficit and hyperactivity/impulsivity (ADHD) diagnosis compared with typically developing adolescents.MethodsImpulsivity was understood as an exploratory and a sensation seeking behavior, a trend to engage in novel and exciting activities, and was evaluated using the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale. Eighty-one adolescents from 13-to-18 years old with and without ADHD diagnosis were compared regarding infatuation intensity, behavioral impulsivity, and social and educational profiles.ResultsAfter correlation analysis, we found association between higher scores on the infatuation intensity with fewer years of formal education, heightened urgency and sensation seeking. On the other hand, using the generalized equation model, we showed that the association of passionate love with behavioral urgency and sensation seeking did not change in the presence of the ADHD diagnosis.ConclusionThe understanding of the relationship of impulsivity with infatuation might help to clarify why some population groups show an increased risk for many negative social outcomes.

Does cognitive control ability mediate the relationship between reward-related mechanisms, impulsivity, and maladaptive outcomes in adolescence and young adulthood?

Neurobiological models explain increased risk-taking behaviours in adolescence and young adulthood as arising from staggered development of subcortical reward networks and prefrontal control networks. In this study, we examined whether individual variability in impulsivity and reward-related mechanisms is associated with higher level of engagement in risky behaviours and vulnerability to maladaptive outcomes and whether this relationship is mediated by cognitive control ability. A community sample of adolescents, young adults, and adults (age = 15-35 years) completed self-report measures and behavioural tasks of cognitive control, impulsivity, and reward-related mechanisms, and self-reported level of maladaptive outcomes. Behavioural, event-related potential (ERP), and multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) measures of proactive control were derived from a task-switching paradigm. Adolescents, but not young adults, reported higher levels of impulsivity, reward-seeking behaviours and maladaptive outcomes than adults. They also had lower cognitive control ability, as measured by both self-report and task-based measures. Consistent with models of risk-taking behaviour, self-reported level of cognitive control mediated the relationship between self-reported levels of impulsivity and psychological distress, but the effect was not moderated by age. In contrast, there was no mediation effect of behavioural or EEG-based measures of cognitive control. These findings suggest that individual variability in cognitive control is more crucial to the relationship between risk-taking/impulsivity and outcomes than age itself. They also highlight large differences in measurement between self-report and task-based measures of cognitive control and decision-making under reward conditions, which should be considered in any studies of cognitive control.