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Three Laboratory Procedures for Assessing Different Manifestations of Impulsivity in Rats
Published on: March 17, 2019
State impulsivity amplifies urges without diminishing self-control.
Simon Thomas van Baal1, Neda Moskovsky2, Jakob Hohwy3
1Monash University, Cognition and Philosophy Lab, Department of Philosophy, Australia; University of Warwick, Department of Psychology, United Kingdom.
State impulsivity intensifies urges, but doesn't reduce self-control. Hunger amplifies urges and, with late hours, reduces urge control, impacting daily behavior beyond just food.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Most impulsivity research focuses on stable traits, not fluctuating states.
- The link between state impulsivity and real-time behavior remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how state impulsivity and hunger influence urges and self-control.
- To test a dual-process model explaining urge intensity and behavioral regulation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a smartphone-based experience sampling method.
- Assessed state impulsivity, hunger, urge intensity, and self-control in daily life.
Main Results:
- State impulsivity correlated with stronger urges but not diminished self-control.
- Hunger amplified various urges; hunger and late hours decreased urge control likelihood.
Conclusions:
- State impulsivity influences urge intensity, not necessarily self-control capacity.
- Hunger's impact extends beyond food, affecting various urges and behavioral control.
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