Toward a Functional View of the p Factor in Psychopathology

Abstract

Evidence indicates the existence of a superordinate factor of general psychopathology, which has been termed p. Among the issues raised by this discovery is whether this factor has substantive meaning or not. This article suggests a functional interpretation of the p factor, based in part on a family of dual process models, in which an associative system and a deliberative system compete for influence over action. The associative system is frequently said to be impulsively responsive to emotions. We hypothesize that this impulsive responsivity to emotion underlies the p factor. One benefit of this view is to use the same underlying process variable to account for both internalizing and externalizing vulnerabilities, as well as aspects of thought disorder. Evidence is reviewed linking impulsive reactivity to emotion to the p factor, and (separately) to internalizing, externalizing, and thought-disorder symptoms. Alternative interpretations are considered.

General Psychopathology and Dysregulation Profile in a Longitudinal Community Sample: Stability, Antecedents and Outcomes

“…In sum, both GP and DP models capture general vulnerability for developing psychopathology. Work into the meaning and underlying factors of both has pointed mostly to constructs related to self-and emotion-regulation, e.g., effortful control and negative affectivity [25,26], poor constraint over reactions to emotion [27], emotional reactivity and irritability [6], and negative emotionality [24].…”

Emotional Response Inhibition: A Shared Neurocognitive Deficit in Eating Disorder Symptoms and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury

“…However, negative urgency and NEAT dysfunction capture separate variance in the prediction of ED-related cognitions and behaviors, distinct from the pattern of results we previously observed in NSSI.Brain Sci. 2020, 10, 104 2 of 17 of diverse self-injurious behaviors [12][13][14][15][16] and a putative non-specific marker of general vulnerability for psychopathology [17,18]. Consistent with this notion, the most commonly reported function of NSSI and ED behaviors is to reduce negative affect [19][20][21][22][23][24][25].…”

Neurocognitive mechanisms of emotion‐related impulsivity: The role of arousal

“…In clinical populations, emotion‐related impulsivity predicts lower quality of life, higher rates of comorbidity, self‐injury, suicidal action, aggression, and poor social well‐being (Auerbach, Stewart, & Johnson, ; Muhtadie et al, ; Victor, Johnson, & Gotlib, ). Emotion‐related impulsivity appears to be a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor for both internalizing and externalizing disorders (Carver, Johnson, & Timpano, ; Johnson, Carver, & Joormann, ). A growing body of longitudinal research supports the predictive power of this form of impulsivity in the onset of problems with substance abuse (Kaiser, Bonsu, Charnigo, Milich, & Lynam, ), eating disorders (Pearson, Combs, Zapolski, & Smith, ), and nonsuicidal self‐injury (Riley, Combs, Jordan, & Smith, ).…”