title: Associations of functional and dysfunctional impulsivity to smoking characteristics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although the relation between impulsivity and smoking is well-documented, one model of impulsivity that has received little attention in the addiction literature separates impulsivity into 2 dimensions: functional impulsivity (tendency to make quick effective decisions) and dysfunctional impulsivity (tendency to make quick ineffective decisions).
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study examined relations of functional and dysfunctional impulsivity to smoking characteristics in 212 non-treatment-seeking daily smokers (M = 15 cigarettes per day, M age = 24 years, 53% women).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dysfunctional impulsivity exhibited small- to medium-sized positive associations with difficulty refraining from smoking in forbidden places, craving, and smoking without awareness. Functional impulsivity was inversely associated with a measure of cigarette craving. Other suggestive associations were found; however, these were not statistically significant after type I error correction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the overall predictive validity of these impulsivity constructs for explaining variance in smoking characteristics was relatively modest, the results suggest that conceptualizing impulsivity as a unitary construct indicative of a tendency to make quick decisions may mask heterogeneity within the impulsivity-smoking relationship. These findings suggest that high-dysfunctional impulsivity smokers may perhaps require more intensive interventions to dampen motivation to smoke. They also highlight the possibility that certain manifestations of impulsivity are not related with increased smoking behavior and may actually associate with reduced drive to smoke.
authors.affiliation: University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, 2250 Alcazar Street, CSC 240, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
authors.forename: Stephanie R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Pitts
authors.forename: Adam M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Leventhal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001364:Awareness; D003657:Decision Making; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine