Measuring impulsivity in daily life: the momentary impulsivity scale

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Impulsivity is a key characteristic of several psychiatric conditions.
• Current assessment methods (questionnaires, lab tasks) fail to capture real-world, moment-to-moment impulsivity and individual variations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a method for assessing momentary impulsivity in daily life.
• To provide a tool that captures both between-individual and within-individual variability in impulsivity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an electronic diary method over 28 days with participants diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) or depressive disorder (DD).
• Administered up to 6 daily assessments of 9 impulsivity items.
• Employed item distribution analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to refine the scale.

Main Results:

• Developed a concise 4-item Momentary Impulsivity Scale (MIS).
• EFA confirmed good model fit for both within- and between-individual analyses.
• The BPD group scored significantly higher on the MIS compared to the DD group.
• The MIS showed moderate correlations with established trait impulsivity measures.

Conclusions:

• The 4-item Momentary Impulsivity Scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing real-world, momentary impulsivity.
• This scale offers valuable insights into intraindividual fluctuations in impulsivity, particularly relevant for psychiatric populations.
• The MIS can distinguish between different clinical groups based on impulsivity levels.