Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Three Laboratory Procedures for Assessing Different Manifestations of Impulsivity in Rats
Published on: March 17, 2019
Differences between low and high trait impulsivity are not associated with differences in inhibitory motor control
M Lijffijt1, E M Bekker, E H Quik
1Utrecht University, Department of Psychopharmacology, Utrecht, The Nertherlands. m.lijffijt@pharm.uu.nl
Objective:
The present study investigates whether there is an association between trait impulsivity in the normal population and inhibitory motor control as assessed by the stop task.
Method:
Low- and high-impulsive participants (as assessed by the I7 questionnaire; both groups n = 31) performed the stop task. Differences in performance were analyzed by an independent samples t-test. Furthermore, a short meta-analysis was performed on this study and three previous studies with a similar aim.
Results:
The low- and high-impulsive groups did not differ on the speed to stop the response (SSRT). However, the meta-analysis revealed that high-impulsives are marginally slower in stopping than low-impulsives (effect size = -0.26, p= 0.06).
Conclusions:
There is only minor evidence that impulsivity inthe common population is associated with poor inhibitory motor control.
Related Concept Videos
Self-Regulation
Hierarchy of Motor Control
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
Instinctive Drift

