UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P)

Abstract

The UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale is a 59-item self-report scale that serves as a refinement of the original UPPS developed by Whiteside and Lynam (2001). The primary function of the UPPS-P (Cyders et al., 2007) is to move beyond the unitary concept of impulsivity by isolating five distinct personality facets contributing to impulsive behavior. This differentiated approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of why individuals engage in risky or rash actions.

The scale is applicable to both adolescents and adults and has been extensively utilized in clinical and research settings to assess impulsive tendencies related to substance abuse, pathological gambling, risk-taking behaviors, and various subtypes of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). By identifying the specific motivational pathway (e.g., urgency driven by positive versus negative emotions), the UPPS-P aids in tailoring more effective psychological treatments.

Keywords

Impulsivity, Negative Urgency, Positive Urgency, Lack of Premeditation, Lack of Perseverance, Sensation Seeking, Personality Assessment, Five Factor Model, ADHD, Self-Report

Authors

S. P. Whiteside, D. R. Lynam, M. A. Cyders, G. T. Smith, N. S. Spillane, S. Fischer, A. M. Annus, C. Peterson

Purpose

The principal purpose of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale is to provide a comprehensive, multidimensional assessment of impulsive traits. Unlike earlier scales that treated impulsivity as a single construct, the UPPS-P decomposes this trait into five theoretically derived subscales, offering clinicians and researchers a powerful tool for differential diagnosis and treatment planning.

The scale is particularly valuable in clinical contexts where understanding the specific emotional or cognitive drivers of impulsive acts is crucial. For instance, distinguishing between actions motivated by strong negative feelings (Negative Urgency) versus those motivated by positive excitement (Positive Urgency) directly impacts the selection of therapeutic interventions, leading to personalized treatment strategies.

Construct

The UPPS-P measures five distinct personality facets of impulsivity, developed originally within the framework of the Five Factor Model of personality. These facets capture different pathways or reasons for engaging in rash action, enhancing the granularity of impulsivity measurement.

The five core dimensions (subscales) measured by the UPPS-P are:

• Negative Urgency: Refers to the tendency to experience strong impulses under conditions of negative affect or distress.
• Positive Urgency: The tendency toward rash action in response to very positive moods or intense excitement.
• Lack of Premeditation: The failure to think and reflect on the potential consequences of an act before engaging in that action.
• Lack of Perseverance: Difficulties remaining focused on a task that may be long, boring, or difficult, indicating problems with sustained motivation and attention.
• Sensation Seeking: The enjoyment and pursuit of exciting activities, coupled with an openness to trying new experiences that may involve risks or unconventional elements.

Validity

The UPPS-P demonstrates robust psychometric properties, particularly in terms of construct and discriminant validity. The initial four-factor structure (UPPS) was empirically derived through factor analysis of existing impulsivity measures. The subsequent modification to the UPPS-P, including the fifth factor, Positive Urgency (Cyders et al., 2007), was based on theoretical necessity to capture impulsivity driven by intense positive emotional states.

Convergent evidence for the structure was provided by a study comparing UPPS-P self-report data with interview data (Smith et al., 2007), which confirmed the congruence of the factor structure across different methods. This research established strong convergent validity for the assessment of each construct and definitive discriminant validity between the factors, confirming that the five subscales measure unique aspects of impulsive behavior. Furthermore, the scale’s utility is validated by its ability to differentiate between specific ADHD subtypes (e.g., inattentive type versus combined type with behavioral problems), highlighting its clinical specificity (Miller et al., 2010).

Reliability

The reliability of the UPPS-P scale is supported by consistent findings across validation studies. The distinct five-factor structure consistently exhibits high internal consistency (alpha coefficients) for each subscale, confirming that the items within each factor reliably measure the intended facet of impulsivity. For example, psychometric evaluations, such as the validation of the Spanish version (Verdejo-García et al., 2009), have confirmed the scale’s reliability across different cultural and linguistic contexts.

Factor Analysis

The development of the UPPS-P is fundamentally based on extensive factor analysis. The original UPPS scale (Whiteside & Lynam, 2001) utilized factor analytic techniques on existing impulsivity measures to establish a four-factor structural model of impulsivity. This provided a crucial theoretical and statistical basis for separating impulsivity into distinct, measurable components.

The revision to the UPPS-P involved adding items designed to capture the unique dimension of Positive Urgency, which was missing from the initial formulation, resulting in the robust five-factor structure used today. This structure is crucial because it allows the scale to identify specific pathways to impulsive behavior, providing a level of diagnostic precision unattainable by single-score impulsivity measures.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Questionnaire / Personality Scale

Format: 59 items rated on a 4-point Likert scale.

Language Available: English (Original), Spanish (Validated version available).

Population Group: Clinical and General Population samples.

Age Group: Adults and Adolescents.

Population Details: Used across various clinical presentations involving impulsive behaviors, including drug and alcohol abuse, pathological gambling, high-risk behaviors, and differential diagnosis of ADHD subtypes.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate their agreement or disagreement with statements using a 4-point scale (1 = Agree Strongly, 4 = Disagree Strongly). Scoring involves calculating a mean score for each of the five subscales (scaled 1-4) and a total impulsivity score. These scores can be converted into percentile ranks based on normative data to facilitate interpretation, although caution is advised when using non-representative student samples for percentile comparisons.

Keywords

Impulsivity facets, Risky behavior, Negative Urgency, Positive Urgency, Premeditation, Perseverance, Sensation Seeking, Psychological Assessment, Personality, Clinical Psychology

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Information not provided in source content.

Affiliation Email addresses: Information not provided in source content.

Correspondence Address: Information not provided in source content.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The original UPPS scale was developed in 2001 by Whiteside and Lynam. The revised UPPS-P scale, incorporating the Positive Urgency subscale, was published in 2007 by Cyders et al. Information regarding specific permissions or commercial fees for use is not detailed in the source material.

Reference’s

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

Items of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS-P)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

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