Table of Contents
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 Strongly | Agree Somewhat | Disagree Somewhat | Disagree Strongly | ||
| 1 | I have a reserved and cautious attitude toward life. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 2 | I have trouble controlling my impulses. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 3 | I generally seek new and exciting experiences and sensations. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 4 | I generally like to see things through to the end. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 5 | When I am very happy, I can’t seem to stop myself from doing things that can have bad consequences. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 6 | My thinking is usually careful and purposeful. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 7 | I have trouble resisting my cravings (for food, cigarettes, etc.). | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 8 | I’ll try anything once. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 9 | I tend to give up easily. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 10 | When I am in great mood, I tend to get into situations that could cause me problems. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 11 | I am not one of those people who blurt out things without thinking. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 12 | I often get involved in things I later wish I could get out of. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 13 | I like sports and games in which you have to choose your next move very quickly. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 14 | Unfinished tasks really bother me. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 15 | When I am very happy, I tend to do things that may cause problems in my life. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 16 | I like to stop and think things over before I do them. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 17 | When I feel bad, I will often do things I later regret in order to make myself feel better now. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | I would enjoy water skiing. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | Once I get going on something I hate to stop. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 20 | I tend to lose control when I am in a great mood. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 21 | I don’t like to start a project until I know exactly how to proceed. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 22 | Sometimes when I feel bad, I can’t seem to stop what I am doing even though it is making me feel worse. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 23 | I quite enjoy taking risks. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 24 | I concentrate easily. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 25 | When I am really ecstatic, I tend to get out of control. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 26 | I would enjoy parachute jumping. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 27 | I finish what I start. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 28 | I tend to value and follow a rational, “sensible” approach to things. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 29 | When I am upset I often act without thinking. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 30 | Others would say I make bad choices when I am extremely happy about something. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 31 | I welcome new and exciting experiences and sensations, even if they are a little frightening and unconventional. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 32 | I am able to pace myself so as to get things done on time. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 33 | I usually make up my mind through careful reasoning. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 34 | When I feel rejected, I will often say things that I later regret. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 35 | Others are shocked or worried about the things I do when I am feeling very excited. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 36 | I would like to learn to fly an airplane. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 37 | I am a person who always gets the job done. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 38 | I am a cautious person. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 39 | It is hard for me to resist acting on my feelings. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 40 | When I get really happy about something, I tend to do things that can have bad consequences. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 41 | I sometimes like doing things that are a bit frightening. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 42 | I almost always finish projects that I start. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 43 | Before I get into a new situation I like to find out what to expect from it. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 44 | I often make matters worse because I act without thinking when I am upset. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 45 | When overjoyed, I feel like I can’t stop myself from going overboard. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 46 | I would enjoy the sensation of skiing very fast down a high mountain slope. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 47 | Sometimes there are so many little things to be done that I just ignore them all. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 48 | I usually think carefully before doing anything. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 49 | Before making up my mind, I consider all the advantages and disadvantages. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 50 | When I am really excited, I tend not to think of the consequences of my actions. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 51 | In the heat of an argument, I will often say things that I later regret. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 52 | I would like to go scuba diving. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 53 | I tend to act without thinking when I am really excited. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 54 | I always keep my feelings under control. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 55 | When I am really happy, I often find myself in situations that I normally wouldn’t be comfortable with. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 56 | I would enjoy fast driving. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 57 | When I am very happy, I feel like it is ok to give in to cravings or overindulge. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 58 | Sometimes I do impulsive things that I later regret. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 59 | I am surprised at the things I do while in a great mood. | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
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.