Impulsivity modulates performance under response uncertainty in a reaching task.

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Impulsivity is a personality trait linked to decision-making.
• Environmental uncertainty can influence motor response strategies.
• Gender may play a role in how personality traits affect behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interaction between the impulsivity trait and response uncertainty.
• To examine how different levels of uncertainty affect motor responses.
• To explore gender-specific patterns in impulsivity and response strategies.

Main Methods:

• A reaching task with varying cue uncertainty (1, 2, or 3 cues) was used.
• 95 healthy adults (54 female, 41 male) participated.
• Impulsivity was assessed using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11).
• Behavioral data included reaction time, errors of commission (early errors), and precision errors.
• Statistical analysis employed generalized linear and additive mixed models.

Main Results:

• An interaction between impulsivity, uncertainty, and gender was found for early errors.
• High impulsivity led to more errors in women under low uncertainty and men under high uncertainty.
• No significant effect of impulsivity on precision errors or reaction time was observed.
• Speed-accuracy trade-offs differed by gender and uncertainty level.
• Women showed a typical trade-off, while men exhibited a reverse trade-off under high uncertainty.

Conclusions:

• Impulsivity modulates response styles (speed vs. accuracy) based on environmental constraints.
• Gender significantly influences the interplay between personality traits and behavioral responses.
• Findings contribute to understanding impulsivity as a behavioral trait affecting decision-making under uncertainty.