Sex-related differences in spatial divided attention and motor impulsivity in rats.

The acquisition and performance of a self-paced test of spatial divided attention linked with frontal cortex function were assessed in postpubertal (> 60 days) normal or gonadectomized male and female rats. Males were more accurate at detecting relatively brief visual stimuli than females, but this difference was eliminated by increasing the target stimulus duration, indicating an attentional basis for this effect. Premature errors were, however, greater in males than in females, suggesting greater impulsivity in males. Subsequent experiments in gonadectomized rats suggest that circulating hormones influence attention and impulsivity, but not necessarily sex differences. These results demonstrate a double dissociation between components of impulse control and divided attention in male and female rats and may have implications for sex differences in disorders of attention and cognition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Enduring effects of prenatal cocaine exposure on attention and reaction to errors.

Rats exposed to cocaine prenatally were administered a series of 3-choice visual attention tasks, with the most pronounced deficits seen in a task in which the onset time, location, and duration of a visual cue varied unpredictably between trials. The cocaine-exposed rats were less accurate than controls but did not differ in the rate of premature responses or omission errors. The pattern of errors, coupled with response latency data, implicated deficits in the ability to rapidly engage attention and maintain a high level of alertness to the task. The cocaine-exposed rats also exhibited a blunted reaction to an error on the previous trial, possibly reflecting an alteration in emotional regulation and/or error monitoring. Implications for underlying neuropathology are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Advancing the spontaneous hypertensive rat model of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

To advance the spontaneous hypertensive rat (SHR) model of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), experiments examined the SHR in tasks recognized to assess functioning of the prefrontal cortex or dorsal striatal. Tasks included odor-delayed win-shift (nonspatial working and reference memory), win-stay (habit learning), and attentional set-shifting (attention and behavioral flexibility). In Experiment 1, the SHR strain was compared with Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and Wistar-Kyoto Hypertensive (WKHT) strains on the first 2 tasks. In Experiment 2, oral methylphenidate (1.5 mg/kg) and vehicle (water) were evaluated on all 3 tasks in SHR and WKY strains. Results demonstrated that the SHR made significantly more errors in the odor-delayed win-shift, win-stay, and attentional set-shifting tasks compared with the WKY. Similar performances in the WKY and WKHT indicated that deficits observed in the SHR were not related solely to hypertension. Treating the SHR with methylphenidate eliminated strain differences in all 3 tasks. These findings provide evidence that the SHR is a valid model for studying ADHD-associated neurocognitive deficits. Moreover, the current behavioral approach is appropriate to assess novel medications developed to target ADHD-associated neurocognitive deficits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nicotine deprivation and trait impulsivity affect smokers' performance on cognitive tasks of inhibition and attention.

Increased nicotine deprivation and impulsivity have been associated with relapse but the degree to which they together influence cognitive processing has not been explored. We examined the effects of increasing levels of nicotine deprivation on cognitive processing, and assessed the relationship of trait impulsivity with these effects in daily smokers (n = 30). Using a within-subject design with three deprivation conditions (nondeprived, 5-hr, 17-hr), volunteers completed the Conners' Continuous Performance Task-II and the Cued Go/No-Go Task. Trait impulsivity was assessed at intake with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (Patton et al., 1995). Mixed-model regression analyses revealed deprivation slowed reaction time, increased errors, increased variability in responding, and increased failures of inhibitory control. Performance at 17 hours of deprivation was most likely to be affected. Significant deprivation and impulsivity interactions indicated impulsiveness was negatively correlated with deprivation-associated performance decrements. Less impulsive smokers were more affected by deprivation, demonstrating greater impairment. Research is needed to understand mechanisms by which impulsivity confers greater risk for relapse. Our results suggest deprivation may not increase relapse risk among impulsive smokers by increasing impairment of cognitive processing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring impulsivity and examining its relationship to delinquency.

A multimethod, multisource assessment of impulsivity was conducted in a sample of more than 400 boys (mean age 10.2 yrs at screening) who were members of a longitudinal study of the development of antisocial behavior. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the 11 different impulsivity measures revealed 2 impulsivity factors: Cognitive and Behavioral. Cognitive and behavioral impulsivity had similar correlations with socioeconomic status. Cognitive impulsivity was more strongly related to IQ than was behavioral impulsivity. Behavioral impulsivity was more strongly related to delinquency at ages 10 yrs and 12–23 yrs than was cognitive impulsivity. Consistent with theoretical prediction, results also indicate that behavioral impulsivity was especially related to serious delinquency that is stable over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Aggressive boys' hostile perceptual and response biases: the role of attention and impulsivity

The present study addressed whether (1) aggressive boys show hostile biases or general deficits in social perception, (2) aggressive boys' social perceptual difficulties also characterize isolate and isolate-aggressive children, (3) aggressive, isolate, and isolate-aggressive boys' social perceptual difficulties are attributable to inattention and impulsivity, and (4) aggressive and nonaggressive boys differ in the links between social perception and proposed behavioral responses. Aggressive boys demonstrated hostile biases, but not general deficits, in intention-cue detection relative to average-status boys. Isolate-aggressive boys resembled aggressive boys in social perception, whereas isolate boys showed mild deficits relative to average-status boys. Although isolates' general deficits were predominantly accounted for by inattention and impulsivity, aggressives' and isolate-aggressives' hostile biases remained after these problems were statistically controlled. The aggressive groups proposed aggressive responses much more frequently than the nonaggressive groups following intentions perceived as nonhostile. Measures corresponding to several stages of Dodge's social information processing model discriminated the aggressive from nonaggressive groups, thus providing support for this model.     

Relations between reflection–impulsivity and behavioral impulsivity in preschool children.

Administered the PPVT and measures of reflection–impulsivity, activity level, parent education, and personality to 90 43–79 mo old preschoolers (half males and half females). Analyses supported the findings of J. Block et al (see record 1975-03118-001) that the dimension of behavioral impulsivity characterized Ss with long response latency and high error scores rather than the findings of J. Kagan and S. B. Messer (see PA, Vols 54:1125 and 58:1257). When variables were treated as continuous and analyzed by multiple regression analysis, response accuracy rather than response latency was the variable with important relations to behavior. Data show that gender differences (often masked in research designs) accounted for important variance in the relations of conceptual and behavioral impulsivity: In predicting impulsive behavior, activity level was the central differentiating variable, important for males and unimportant for females. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Divided attention in youth-onset psychosis and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

The authors used pupillary dilations to test whether divided attention deficits in youth-onset psychosis and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were because of limitations in recruitment of cognitive resources or abnormalities in attention allocation. Eight- to 19-year-olds with youth-onset psychosis or ADHD were administered a divided attention test consisting of an auditory digit span (DS) task and a simple visual response time (RT) task. In 4 conditions, participants performed neither (no task), 1 (DS or RT only), or both tasks (dual). Dependent variables were DS accuracy, RT, and pupillary dilation to digits as an estimate of recruitment of cognitive resources. The authors found no evidence for an abnormal attention strategy in either disorder. Instead, results were consistent with the hypothesis that both clinical groups have limitations in resource recruitment. These limitations were more severe in psychosis than in ADHD. Findings indicate that both clinical groups had difficulties in regulating physiological arousal on a moment-to-moment basis in accordance with task demands. Findings also demonstrate the importance of taking into account difficulties that constrain performance on simple tasks before interpreting impairments on complex tasks. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reflection–impulsivity and social reasoning.

28 reflective and 27 impulsive (determined by the Matching Familiar Figures Test) 2nd-grade males (mean IQ, as indexed by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, 110.4) were administered a social-reasoning task consisting of 6 social-conflict situations. Measures were taken of the types of responses to conflict that Ss considered to be most appropriate and also of decision latencies. Impulsive Ss considered the responses of yielding and appealing to authority to be appropriate responses to social conflict more frequently than did the reflective Ss, whereas the reflective Ss viewed assertion and physical aggression to be more appropriate than did impulsive Ss. Impulsive Ss also responded somewhat more quickly than the reflective Ss. Teacher ratings on the School Behavior Checklist yielded no differences between the 2 cognitive-style groups on measures of aggression, anxiety, need achievement, extraversion, academic disability, or hostile isolation. The fact that the reflective Ss evidenced a more direct approach than the impulsive Ss on the social-reasoning task is consistent with cognitive-style differences that have been found on nonsocial problem-solving tasks. Findings extend the potential relevance of the reflection–implusivity dimension to social reasoning. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Arousal-induced attention to self.

Tested the prediction that increments in general arousal would induce self-focused attention. 10 undergraduates in each of 3 groups were exposed to manipulations designed to vary their levels of general arousal (running in place, waiting in a chair, reclining in a lounge chair) and were then given a measure of self-focused attention. It consisted of the number of 1st-person singular pronouns Ss used to complete a set of sentences. Although a simple heart rate check on the manipulations revealed that running in place produced greater arousal than waiting in a chair, it did not indicate that reclining in a lounge chair reduced arousal below the level experienced while waiting. Results show that significant differences in self-focus were observed among all 3 conditions, however, such that Ss who had run were more self-focused than those who had waited, and reclining Ss were less self-focused than waiting Ss. Implications for the experience of emotion and for the relationship between arousal and self-awareness theories are considered. (35 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity in the positive illusory bias.

The present study examined the relationships among gender, inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity, depressive symptoms, and biases in perceptions of scholastic competence in children. Participants were 38 children with predominantly inattentive symptoms (IA), 59 children with predominantly hyperactive/impulsive symptoms or a combination of hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention (HICB), and 83 control (CTL) children. HICB children overestimated their scholastic competence more than IA children when reading and math achievement scores were used as criteria and more than CTL children when math achievement and teacher perceptions of children's competence were used as criteria. IA children generally did not differ from CTL children with regard to estimations of competence. Regression analyses suggested that positive illusory self- perceptions are associated with more severe hyperactivity/impulsivity, but not more severe inattention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual risk behaviors among substance users: Relationship to impulsivity.

Recent research has suggested that trait impulsivity may predict sexual risk behavior. Few studies have examined this association directly in substance users at risk for HIV transmission. Participants were 330 primarily heroin and/or cocaine users who underwent a structured interview regarding their drug use, sexual behaviors, and impulsivity. Results from an iteratively reweighted least squares regression analysis indicate that impulsivity remained a statistically significant predictor of sexual risk after adjusting for the effects of demographic variables and substance use frequency (b=.179, p     

Trait impulsivity predicts escalation of sucrose seeking and hypersensitivity to sucrose-associated stimuli.

Poor impulse control has been associated with compulsive drug seeking and an enhanced risk of relapse, suggesting that impulsivity is causally related to addiction proneness and relapse vulnerability. However, whether this association is specific to drugs of abuse or whether heightened impulsivity relates to a general increase in sensitivity to rewards and reward-associated stimuli is unknown. To address this issue, the authors selected rats on the basis of individual differences in impulsive action in the 5-choice serial reaction time task, after which they were subjected to an operant sucrose self-administration paradigm. High-impulsive rats displayed a progressive increase in responding on the active hole (including responses emitted during the time-out period) in comparison with low-impulsive rats, which reflects escalation of sucrose-seeking behavior. Once sucrose and sucrose-associated stimuli were omitted (extinction training), nose-poke responding ceased rapidly, an effect that was independent of impulsivity level. In contrast, on reintroduction of sucrose-associated stimuli, sucrose seeking was successfully reinstated in high-impulsive but not in low-impulsive rats. Collectively, the results suggest that impaired response inhibition is associated with enhanced responsiveness to reward-associated stimuli. As such, elevated impulsivity might constitute a risk factor for the initiation and maintenance of addictive behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Outcome dependency and attention to inconsistent information.

Hypothesized that people sometimes ignore information inconsistent with their expectations, but that outcome dependency (OCD) would increase people's attention to inconsistent information. When the perceiver's outcomes depend on the other person, the perceiver may be more motivated to have a sense of prediction and control, rather than only motivated to maintain the expectation. Attention to inconsistent information potentially increases the perceiver's sense of prediction and control, so it should increase under OCD. Attention to consistent information should be relatively unaffected by OCD. The results of 2 studies with 102 undergraduates support these hypotheses. OCD increased attention to inconsistent information, but did not influence attention to consistent information. In the 2nd study, think-aloud protocols revealed that outcome-dependent Ss made more dispositional comments while attending to inconsistent information, and generated both facilitative and inhibitory dispositional attributions for the inconsistent information. This suggests that whether they integrated the inconsistency or not, they responded with more thought about the other person's stable characteristics. Findings are considered in relation to previous work showing situational attributions for inconsistency and to models of meaning change in impression formation. (49 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reaction to punishment, reflectivity, and passive avoidance learning in extraverts.

Passive avoidance learning occupies a central role in accounts of disinhibited behavior, ranging from psychopaths' persistent criminality (Hare, 1970) to extraverts' gregariousness (Gray, 1972). To explore the mechanism underlying passive avoidance deficits, we assessed the relation of extraversion, neuroticism, and response latency after punishment to passive avoidance learning by using two successive go/no go discrimination tasks. The tasks were designed to examine two aspects of subjects' reactions to punishment: response speed on trials immediately following punishment (Experiment 1) and time to terminate punishment feedback between successive trials (i.e., reflectivity; Experiment 2). Consistent with previous findings, the results of Experiment 1 showed that extraverts commit more passive avoidance errors than introverts do (Newman, Widom, & Nathan, 1985) and fail to pause following punished errors (Nichols & Newman, 1986). In Experiment 2, only neurotic extraverts displayed this pattern of performance differences. In both experiments, longer pausing following punishment predicted better learning from punishment for both introverts and extraverts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sensation seeking, impulsivity, and psychopathic personality.

The Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS) correlated positively and significantly with MMPI measures of impulsivity, extrapunitiveness, and psychopathy, and with scales of overt and covert hostility in 83 male psychiatric offenders. However, diagnosed psychopaths did not score significantly higher on SSS than nonpsychopathic offenders. Evidence suggests that while sensation seeking is related to psychopathic personality characteristics, it may also be common among certain psychotics. With this qualification, the results indicate an association of sensation seeking with impulsivity and psychopathic personality traits. (21 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Influence of impulsivity and sociability on subjective well-being.

To investigate the influence of sociability and impulsivity on positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction, 140 undergraduates (68 in Study 1 and 72 in Study 2) completed daily mood reports and were administered the Eysenck Personality Inventory, as well as other well-being measures. Results show that sociability but not impulsivity was strongly related to positive affect, whereas impulsivity tended to correlate more with negative affect. Similarly, sociability but not impulsivity was significantly related to life satisfaction. Possible reasons for the relations observed in this study are offered, and factors underlying the independence of positive and negative affect are discussed. It is contended that the purpose of the present study was not to challenge P. T. Costa and R. R. McCrae's (see record 1981-10468-001) argument that 2 sets of factors are responsible for producing the independent positive and negative effect. However, given the magnitude of the correlations obtained, both in Costa and McCrae's and in the present study, it is questioned whether these 2 sets of personality factors are sufficient to account for the independence of the 2 classes of effects. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Team performance on monitoring tasks: An examination of decision errors in contexts requiring sustained attention.

The purpose of this study was to examine individual and team performance in situations requiring sustained attention. Eighty research participants arrayed in 20 four-person teams worked for 2 separate 3-hr sessions on a naval-command-and-control simulation. The results of the study replicated the past literature on the vigilance decrement and extended the literature by documenting a postcritical signal decrement as well. The study also showed that problems in the area of sustained attention generalize from situations involving individual decision makers to contexts where decisions are made by teams. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Functional and dysfunctional impulsivity: Personality and cognitive correlates.

The 3 studies reported here were designed to clarify the nature of the personality trait of impulsivity. Two types of impulsivity were distinguished. Dysfunctional impulsivity is the tendency to act with less forethought than most people of equal ability when this tendency is a source of difficulty; most previous work on impulsivity appears to have focused on this trait. Functional impulsivity, in contrast, is the tendency to act with relatively little forethought when such a style is optimal. The present work indicates that these two tendencies are not highly correlated and that they bear different relations both to other personality traits and to the manner in which certain basic cognitive processes are executed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Delinquency and impulsivity and IQ: A reply to Block (1995).

Although J. Block's critique (see record 1995-29649-001) of the D. Lynam, T. Moffitt, and M. Stouthamer-Loeber report (see record 1993-29924-001) contains several interesting points, many of his criticisms are not valid and resulted from miscommunications, misunderstandings, and simple preferences. Specifically, the authors believe the criticisms to be the results of mistaking a single hypothesis for an organizing principle, a misunderstanding of the reported path analyses, and a simple preference for impulsivity over IQ as an explanatory construct. An attempt is made to address the misinterpretation through clarification of the predicted relations between IQ, executive dysfunction, impulsivity, and delinquency. The original path analyses are reviewed and are shown to refute not only the original self-control hypothesis (Lynam et al., 1993), as reported, but also Block's more recent version. Finally, evidence marshalled by Block to support his emphasis on impulsive personality over low IQ is argued to have inadequacies from empirical and social policy perspectives. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)