The Forms and Functions of Impulsive Actions: Implications for Behavioral Assessment and Therapy‪.‬

Impulsivity is increasingly recognized as a clinically important feature of many psychiatric disorders and clinical concerns. Although widely regarded as a multifaceted construct, there is little consensus as how to best define impulsivity. As this review will highlight, the term impulsive behavior refers to a broad range of behavioral tendencies that is highly variable in both form (topography) and function. Following a review of theory and basic research on impulsivity, a behavioral framework for conceptualizing impulsive action is proposed. Within this framework, impulsive behaviors are categorized according to their associated functional properties or corresponding skills deficits. Behavioral interventions conceptually tied to these functional formulations of impulsivity are briefly highlighted. CONCEPTUALIZING THE DOMAIN OF IMPULSIVITY: SUGGESTIONS FROM PERSONALITY THEORY AND RESEARCH