Scale Overview
The Barratt Impulsiveness Scale – BIS-11 was developed by Patton, J. H., Stanford, M. S., & Barratt, E. S. (1995). It is designed to measure Impulsiveness. The scale is intended for use with Adults and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 30 items organized into 3 factors/subscales: Attentional Impulsiveness, Motor Impulsiveness, Non-planning Impulsiveness.
| Factor / Subscale |
Items |
N |
| Attentional Impulsiveness |
5,6,9,11,20,24,26,28 |
8 |
| Motor Impulsiveness |
2,3,4,16,17,19,21,22,23,25,30 |
11 |
| Non-planning Impulsiveness |
1,7,8,10,12,13,14,15,18,27,29 |
11 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Rarely/Never, 2 = Occasionally, 3 = Often, 4 = Almost Always.
The scale includes 11 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 30 to 120. Interpretation guidelines:
- Highly controlled / non-impulsive: 30 – 51
- Normal / average range of impulsiveness: 52 – 71
- Highly impulsive: 72 – 120
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Motor: 0.70, Non-planning: 0.72, Attentional: 0.61.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.