Contexts of urgency may go beyond emotion

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Urgency, defined as rash behavior in emotional states, predicts psychopathology.
• Existing research questions whether emotions uniquely drive urgency or serve as examples of broader contextual influences.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether emotions are unique drivers of urgency or if they represent broader contextual factors influencing rash behavior.
• To test the Emotion Specific model versus the Broader Contexts model of urgency.

Main Methods:

• Two large samples (N=1188) completed modified Urgency scales assessing rash responses in "Upset," "Excited," "Tired," and "Hungry" contexts.
• Principal components analysis was used to develop the Contexts of Impulsive Behaviors (CIBS) scale, a 4-item measure across five contexts.

Main Results:

• The CIBS scale demonstrated reliability and replicated across datasets.
• While emotional contexts (Upset, Excited) showed higher means/variance, results largely supported the Broader Contexts model.
• Contexts were highly intercorrelated, and emotional urgency effects were mediated by Tired and Hungry contexts.

Conclusions:

• Emotions are significant contexts for impulsive behaviors.
• Individuals with high urgency are susceptible to impulsivity in non-emotional contexts like fatigue and hunger.
• Findings have implications for understanding and treating impulsivity and related disorders.