The momentary and the macro in action control: A motor control analysis of impulse control difficulties

According to cybernetic models of self-regulation, the success of one's overt behaviors may very well depend on how well one controls one's behaviors in more momentary terms. The present research applies such perspectives to the analysis of individual differences in impulse control difficulties, which are thought to constitute losses of control in responses to stressors or distress, representing a form of emotional impulsivity. In three studies (total N = 349), undergraduate participants were asked to perform motor control tasks involving stationary or moving targets, which permitted the computation of a tremor instability index that represented the extent to which movements were noisy or unpredictable (less controlled) from moment to moment. Study 1 found that individuals with higher levels of impulse control difficulties exhibited higher levels of tremor, Study 2 replicated this pattern, and Study 3 showed that the tremor instability index predicted similar contingencies in daily life. The findings, in total, identify a micromomentary signature of macrolevel tendencies toward emotional impulsivity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).