Life is often hard for impulsive people, because they can accidentally make bad choices.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have developed a diagnostic test to determine the severity of acting on impulsive behaviors that could potentially lead to mental health issues.
Let's find out more.
Researching impulsivity
Their findings, published in the journal Brain and Neuroscience Advances, suggest a link between quick reactions to disturbing visuals and negative urgency, a form of impulsivity associated with conditions like depression, OCD, and eating disorders.
Traditionally, negative urgency is measured using self-report questionnaires, but the researchers introduced an "emotional stop-signal task" for more objective assessment.
How it was conducted
Study participants viewed a mix of comforting and disturbing images, rating each one.
When a stop signal followed a disturbing image, those with poor impulse control often reacted too quickly, indicating a correlation between negative emotion-related impulsivity and potential mental health problems.
This new measure has the potential to identify individuals at risk of psychiatric disorders and aid in early intervention.
