Responsibility and impulsivity and their interaction in relation to obsessive-compulsive symptoms

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychopathology

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) are complex, influenced by various psychological factors.
• Understanding the interplay of personality traits like responsibility and impulsivity is crucial for explaining OCS.
• Previous research has explored these traits individually, but their combined role requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the independent and interactive roles of responsibility and impulsivity in obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
• To examine the relationship between responsibility attitudes, impulsivity, and OCS, controlling for depressive symptoms.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 405 Icelandic university students.
• Utilized self-report measures: Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), AD/HD Self-Report Scale (AD/HD-SR), Responsibility Attitudes Scale (RAS), Eysenck's Impulsiveness/Venturesomeness/Empathy questionnaire (IVE), CES-D, and PSWQ.
• Statistical analyses examined direct relationships and interaction effects.

Main Results:

• Responsibility attitudes (RAS) and impulsivity measures were significantly associated with total OCI-R scores.
• These associations remained significant even after controlling for depression (CES-D).
• The interaction between responsibility and hyperactivity/impulsivity significantly predicted OCI-R scores beyond their individual effects.

Conclusions:

• Responsibility and impulsivity are significant correlates of obsessive-compulsive symptoms.
• The interaction between these traits offers unique predictive value for OCS, independent of depression.
• Findings suggest that interventions targeting responsibility and impulsivity may be beneficial for individuals with OCS.