Measurement Invariance and Differential Relationship to Substance Use of the Short UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychometrics
• Substance Use Research

Background:

• The Short UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior (SUPPS-P) scale is a key tool for assessing impulsive personality traits.
• Its psychometric properties and applicability across diverse racial and ethnic groups require validation.
• Understanding potential group differences is crucial for accurate assessment and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test the measurement invariance of the SUPPS-P scale across White and minority racial/ethnic groups.
• To examine if relationships between impulsive traits and substance use differ among these groups.

Main Methods:

• Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis was employed.
• 1,301 young adults participated, recruited from a university and Amazon's Mechanical Turk.
• Comparisons were made between White participants and Black, Asian American, and Hispanic/Latino participants.

Main Results:

• Strong measurement invariance of the SUPPS-P was established for Black, Asian American, and Hispanic/Latino groups compared to White groups.
• Most associations between SUPPS-P traits and substance use were consistent across groups.
• Two specific differences were noted regarding alcohol use patterns.

Conclusions:

• The SUPPS-P scale demonstrates valid and reliable measurement of impulsive traits in young to middle-aged adults across specified racial/ethnic groups.
• Existing research findings on impulsive traits and substance use risk patterns are likely generalizable to these diverse populations.