upps p impulsive behavior scale upps p

UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P)

miscellaneous

Instructions:

Below are a number of statements that describe ways in which people act and think. For each statement, please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the statement. If you “Agree Strongly” tap 1, if you “Agree Somewhat” tap 2, if you “Disagree somewhat” tap 3, and if you “Disagree Strongly” tap 4. Be sure to indicate your agreement or disagreement for every statement below.

Agree StronglyAgree SomewhatDisagree SomewhatDisagree Strongly
1I have a reserved and cautious attitude toward life.1234
2I have trouble controlling my impulses.4321
3I generally seek new and exciting experiences and sensations.4321
4I generally like to see things through to the end.1234
5When I am very happy, I can’t seem to stop myself from doing things that can have bad consequences.4321
6My thinking is usually careful and purposeful.1234
7I have trouble resisting my cravings (for food, cigarettes, etc.).4321
8I’ll try anything once.4321
9I tend to give up easily.

4321
10When I am in great mood, I tend to get into situations that could cause me problems.4321
11I am not one of those people who blurt out things without thinking.1234
12I often get involved in things I later wish I could get out of.4321
13I like sports and games in which you have to choose your next move very quickly.4321
14Unfinished tasks really bother me.1234
15When I am very happy, I tend to do things that may cause problems in my life.4321
16I like to stop and think things over before I do them.1234
17When I feel bad, I will often do things I later regret in order to make myself feel better now.4321
18I would enjoy water skiing.4321
19Once I get going on something I hate to stop.1234
20I tend to lose control when I am in a great mood.4321
21I don’t like to start a project until I know exactly how to proceed.1234
22Sometimes when I feel bad, I can’t seem to stop what I am doing even though it is making me feel worse.4321
23I quite enjoy taking risks.4321
24I concentrate easily.1234
25When I am really ecstatic, I tend to get out of control.

4321
26I would enjoy parachute jumping.4321
27I finish what I start.1234
28I tend to value and follow a rational, “sensible” approach to things.1234
29When I am upset I often act without thinking.4321
30Others would say I make bad choices when I am extremely happy about something.4321
31I welcome new and exciting experiences and sensations, even if they are a little frightening and unconventional.4321
32I am able to pace myself so as to get things done on time.1234
33I usually make up my mind through careful reasoning.1234
34When I feel rejected, I will often say things that I later regret.4321
35Others are shocked or worried about the things I do when I am feeling very excited.4321
36I would like to learn to fly an airplane.4321
37I am a person who always gets the job done.1234
38I am a cautious person.1234
39It is hard for me to resist acting on my feelings.4321
40When I get really happy about something, I tend to do things that can have bad consequences.4321
41I sometimes like doing things that are a bit frightening.4321
42I almost always finish projects that I start.

1234
43Before I get into a new situation I like to find out what to expect from it.1234
44I often make matters worse because I act without thinking when I am upset.4321
45When overjoyed, I feel like I can’t stop myself from going overboard.4321
46I would enjoy the sensation of skiing very fast down a high mountain slope.4321
47Sometimes there are so many little things to be done that I just ignore them all.4321
48I usually think carefully before doing anything.1234
49Before making up my mind, I consider all the advantages and disadvantages.1234
50When I am really excited, I tend not to think of the consequences of my actions.4321
51In the heat of an argument, I will often say things that I later regret.4321
52I would like to go scuba diving.4321
53I tend to act without thinking when I am really excited.4321
54I always keep my feelings under control.

1234
55When I am really happy, I often find myself in situations that I normally wouldn’t be comfortable with.4321
56I would enjoy fast driving.4321
57When I am very happy, I feel like it is ok to give in to cravings or overindulge.4321
58Sometimes I do impulsive things that I later regret.4321
59I am surprised at the things I do while in a great mood.4321

Description

The UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (Cyders et al. 2007) is a 59 item self report scale which is a revised version of the original UPPS created by Whiteside and Lynam (2001). The scale can be used with adults or adolescents to identify the separate personality facets that have been previously lumped together under the term impulsivity. The UPPS-P has five subscales: – Negative Urgency – Positive Urgency – (Lack of) Premeditation – (Lack of) Perseverance – Sensation Seeking This scale has been used with patients who display impulsivity in a variety of settings, including in the context of drug and alcohol abuse (Whiteside & Lynam, 2003), gambling (Miller, Flory, Lynam, & Leukefeld, 2003), risk taking behaviors, problems with sustained motivation and attention and ADHD (Miller, Derefinko, Lynam, Milich, & Fillmore, 2010). This scale is important in understanding the reasons why individuals engage in impulsive behavior. For example, if two individuals engage in the same behavior for different reasons (e.g., gambling to distract from negative emotions versus gambling to sustain positive emotions), they are likely to respond differently to treatment.

Validity and Reliability

Using factor analysis of a number of available impulsivity scales, the original UPPS identified four different pathways leading to impulsive behavior (Whiteside & Lynam, 2001). The fifth subscale (positive urgency) was then added using additional items (Cyders et al. 2007), as this subscale was of theoretical importance to the construct of impulsivity. A study comparing responses on the UPPS-P with interview data (Smith et al., 2007) found that there was the same factor structure of impulsivity traits from interview data as from questionnaire data. Additionally, there was convergent validity in the assessment of each construct across methods and discriminant validity between the different constructs. Further validating the constructs within the measure, the parent version can discriminate between several attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subtypes, including predominantly inattentive type (ADHD/I), combined type (ADHD/C), and combined type with behavioral problems (ADHD/ODD) (Miller, et al., 2010).

Interpretation

Scores are presented for each of five subscales, plus a total impulsivity score. In addition to the raw scores, in order to put each subscale into the same metric, the mean is calculated for the items on each subscale, from 1 to 4, where 1 indicates that the respondent did not indorse impulsive answers, and 4 indicating a high level of self-reported impulsivity. In addition, results for each subscale are converted into a percentile rank based on the Spanish version of the scale from a sample of 150 undergraduate students (Verdejo-García, Lozano, Moya, Alcázar, & Pérez-García, 2009). Higher percentiles represent a higher level of impulsivity compared to this sample. Given that the university sample is likely to have a lower level of pathologically impulsive individuals compared to the general population, interpretation should be done in consideration that percentile ceiling effects are likely. – Negative Urgency Refers to the tendency to experience strong impulses under conditions of negative affect. – Positive Urgency The tendency toward rash action in response to very positive mood. – (Lack of) Premeditation The tendency to fail to think and reflect on the consequences of an act before engaging in that act. – (Lack of) Perseverance Difficulties remaining focused on a task that may be long, boring, or difficult. – Sensation Seeking Sensation seeking encompasses two aspects: (a) the tendency to enjoy and pursue exciting activities and (b) an openness to trying new experiences that may or may not be dangerous.

Developer

Whiteside, S. P., & Lynam, D. R. (2001). The Five Factor Model and impulsivity: Using a structural model of personality to understand impulsivity. Personality and Individual Differences,30, 669–689. Cyders, M. A., Smith, G. T., Spillane, N. S., Fischer, S., Annus, A. M., & Peterson, C. (2007). Integration of impulsivity and positive mood to predict risky behavior: Development and validation of a measure of positive urgency. Psychological Assessment, 19, 107–118.

Number Of Questions

59

References

Miller, D. J., Derefinko, K. J., Lynam, D. R., Milich, R., & Fillmore, M. T. (2010). Impulsivity and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder: Subtype classification using the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 32(3), 323-332.

Smith, G. T., Fischer, S., Cyders, M. A., Annus, A. M., Spillane, N. S., & McCarthy, D. M. (2007). On the validity and utility of discriminating among impulsivity-like traits. Assessment, 14(2), 155-170.

Verdejo-García, A., Lozano, Ó., Moya, M., Alcázar, M. Á., & Pérez-García, M. (2009). Psychometric Properties of a Spanish Version of the UPPS–P Impulsive Behavior Scale: Reliability, Validity and Association With Trait and Cognitive Impulsivity. Journal of Personality Assessment, 92(1), 70-77.

Developer Reference:

Whiteside, S. P., & Lynam, D. R. (2001). The Five Factor Model and impulsivity: Using a structural model of personality to understand impulsivity. Personality and Individual Differences,30, 669–689.

Cyders, M. A., Smith, G. T., Spillane, N. S., Fischer, S., Annus, A. M., & Peterson, C. (2007). Integration of impulsivity and positive mood to predict risky behavior: Development and validation of a measure of positive urgency. Psychological Assessment, 19, 107–118.

Cite this article

Mohammed looti (2026). UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/upps-p-impulsive-behavior-scale-upps-p/

Mohammed looti. "UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2 Apr. 2026, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/upps-p-impulsive-behavior-scale-upps-p/.

Mohammed looti. "UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P)." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2026. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/upps-p-impulsive-behavior-scale-upps-p/.

Mohammed looti (2026) 'UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P)', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/s/upps-p-impulsive-behavior-scale-upps-p/.

[1] Mohammed looti, "UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P)," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, April, 2026.

Mohammed looti. UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P). PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2026;vol(issue):pages.

Related terms:

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  3. Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire- 360 (TEIQUE)
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