title: Impulsivity: four ways five factors are not basic to addiction.
abstract: Several impulsivity-related models have been applied to understanding the vulnerability to addiction. While there is a growing consensus that impulsivity is multifaceted, debate continues as to the precise number of facets and, more critically, which are most relevant to explaining the addiction-risk profile. In many ways, the current debate mirrors that which took place in the personality literature in the early 1990s (e.g., Eysenck's 'Big Three' versus Costa and McCrae's 'Big Five'). Indeed, many elements of this debate are relevant to the current discussion of the role of impulsivity in addictive behavior. Specifically, 1) the use of factor analysis as an atheoretical 'truth-grinding machine'; 2) whether additional facets add explanatory power over fewer; 3) the delineation of specific neurocognitive pathways from each facet to addictive behaviors, and; 4) the relative merit of 'top-down' versus 'bottom-up' approaches to the understanding of impulsivity. Ultimately, the utility of any model of impulsivity and addiction lies in its heuristic value and ability to integrate evidence from different levels of analysis. Here, we make the case that theoretically-driven, bottom-up models proposing two factors deliver the optimal balance of explanatory power, parsimony, and integration of evidence.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, K Floor, Mental Health Centre, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia. Electronic address: m.gullo@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gullo
authors.affiliation: Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, K Floor, Mental Health Centre, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, Queensland 4006, Australia; School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Natalie J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Loxton
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Mt. Gravatt Campus, Brisbane, Queensland 4122, Australia; Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dawe
mesh_terms: D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Addiction; Alcohol; Impulsivity; Substance use; UPPS; Urgency