An Abbreviated Impulsiveness Scale constructed through confirmatory factor analysis of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Version 11.

Abstract

Impulsiveness is a personality trait that reflects an urge to act spontaneously, without thinking or planning ahead for the consequences of your actions. High impulsiveness is characteristic of a variety of problematic behaviors including attention deficit disorder, hyperactivity, excessive gambling, risk-taking, drug use, and alcoholism. Researchers studying attention and self-control often assess impulsiveness using personality questionnaires, notably the common Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11 (BIS-11; last revised in 1995). Advances in techniques for producing personality questionnaires over the last 20 years prompted us to revise and improve the BIS-11. We sought to make the revised scale shorter – so that it would be quicker to administer – and better matched to current behaviors. We analyzed responses from 1549 adults who took the BIS-11 questionnaire. Using a statistical technique called factor analysis, we eliminated 17 questions that did a poor job of measuring the three major types of impulsiveness identified by the scale: inattention, spontaneous action, and lack of planning. We constructed our ABbreviated Impulsiveness Scale (ABIS) using the remaining 13 questions. We showed that the ABIS performed well when administered to additional groups of 657 and 285 adults. Finally, we showed expected relationships between the ABIS and other personality measurements related to impulsiveness, and showed that the ABIS can help predict alcohol consumption. We present the ABIS as a useful and efficient tool for researchers interested in measuring impulsive personality.

Predicting delinquency by self‐reported impulsivity in adolescents in Ghana

“…We found support for the three ABIS factors (i.e. attention, motor and nonplanning) reported by Coutlee et al (), although one item had to be deleted due to poor loading. Of most importance, confirmation of the factor structure of the ABIS in a Ghanaian sample extends the concept of impulsivity as a multidimensional construct beyond Western samples.…”

“…The items ‘I change residences’ and ‘I change jobs’ do not apply well in the Ghanaian context, given that people hardly change residences and jobs owing to the family‐oriented housing system (siblings living together in the same household) and poor socioeconomic conditions (youth unemployment rate as high as 48%, Citifmonline, ), respectively. The more recently developed shortened version, the Abbreviated Barratt Impulsivity Scale (ABIS) has just 13 items (Coutlee et al, ), which still yield three factors as in the parent scale, seems more applicable in Ghana given its content. Each item is scored on a 4‐point Likert scale ranging from 1 (r arely/neve r) to four ( almost always/always ).…”

“…Although such variables may be the same across diverse cultural settings, their reliable and valid assessment may not easily translate. We therefore set out to investigate the latent structure of the abbreviated Barratt Impulsivity Scale (ABIS; Coutlee et al, ) and how scores on this scale relates to adolescents' delinquent behaviours in Ghana.…”

Impulsivity Dimensions and Risky Sex Behaviors in an At-Risk Young Adult Sample

“…Impulse control is often referred to as the ability to think before acting, planning ahead, and premeditation (Coutlee, Politzer, Hoyle, & Huettel, 2014; Whiteside &Lynam, 2001). Conversely, low impulse control is related to externalizing problems (Whiteside & Lynam, 2003).…”

Religiosity is a moderator of the relationship between impulsivity and internalizing symptoms

“…The assessment of impulsivity was conducted using the abbreviated version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale 11 (ABIS-11) 11 . The abbreviated version uses 13 questions to assess impulsivity and retains the validity and reliability of the original version.…”