ObjectiveImpulsivity and compulsivity have been implicated as important transdiagnostic dimensional phenotypes with potential relevance to addiction. We aimed to develop a model that conceptualizes these constructs as overlapping dimensional phenotypes and test whether different components of this model explain the co-occurrence of addictive and related behaviors.MethodsA large sample of adults (N = 487) was recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and completed self-report questionnaires measuring impulsivity, intolerance of uncertainty, obsessive beliefs, and the severity of 6 addictive and related behaviors. Hierarchical clustering was used to organize addictive behaviors into homogenous groups reflecting their co-occurrence. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate fit of the hypothesized bifactor model of impulsivity and compulsivity and determine the proportion of variance explained in the co-occurrence of addictive and related behaviors by each component of the model.ResultsAddictive and related behaviors clustered into 2 distinct groups: Impulse-Control Problems, consisting of harmful alcohol use, pathological gambling, and compulsive buying, and Obsessive-Compulsive-Related Problems, consisting of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, binge eating, and internet addiction. The hypothesized bifactor model of impulsivity and compulsivity provided the best empirical fit, with 3 uncorrelated factors corresponding to a general Disinhibition dimension, and specific Impulsivity and Compulsivity dimensions. These dimensional phenotypes uniquely and additively explained 39.9% and 68.7% of the total variance in Impulse-Control Problems and Obsessive-Compulsive-Related Problems.ConclusionA model of impulsivity and compulsivity that represents these constructs as overlapping dimensional phenotypes has important implications for understanding addictive and related behaviors in terms of shared etiology, comorbidity, and potential transdiagnostic treatments.

Compulsive washing may be more clearly characterized by problems in reward processing. In contrast, duration of checking, severity of OCD, and comorbidity with impulse control disorders shape compulsive behaviors by imparting them with habitual tendencies.

The capacity of the state to promote the rule of law is identified as a factor that potentially affects child mortality via causal mechanisms independent of the fiscal sociology aspect of state capacity -state size. Two potential causal mechanisms are proposed through which the rule of law may affect child mortality: by improving market efficiency and supporting civil society. As an initial test of these propositions, a crossnational time series analysis of 93 developing countries examines whether the rule of law has a beneficial effect on child mortality, independent of the size of the state and other political and economic controls. The evidence presented supports this hypothesis and suggests a strong, negative and robust effect of the rule of law on child mortality, while also suggesting that state size does not have a statistically significant effect on child mortality when controlling for the rule of law and other politico-economic variables.Keywords child mortality, development, health, fiscal sociology, rule of law, state capacity Somalia has been without an effective central government since 1991. In 2005, a Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) special report stated that Somalia has 'some of the worst health indicators in the world. Over one in ten children die at birth and of those that survive, a quarter will perish before their fifth birthday' (Médecins Sans Frontières, 2005). In addition to the lack of a functioning health system, the report identifies the absence of a state apparatus that can maintain law and order as a key factor affecting health. It attributes countless injuries and deaths to the lawlessness and widespread violence in the country. However, in addition to these casualties, a weak rule of law can also have a detrimental effect on health by hindering the operations of aid organizations, whose assistance is all the more important in countries like Somalia. Violence and disorder can disrupt the transportation of supplies and compromise the safety of personnel. In Somalia, many aid organizations simply do not operate there as a result of these risks. As one of

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