impulsive behavior. impulsive person

Impulsive behavior can be painful in nature (that is, be a manifestation of a mental disorder), in which case the help of a psychiatrist or psychotherapist is required. This article is devoted to these states. In addition, impulsive behavior can be observed in mentally healthy people. The doctor's task is to correctly determine the true causes of impulsive behavior and differentiate healthy people from people with disorders.

impulses to break or crush something

Impulses to break or destroy something, attacks of craving for destruction are always a symptom, that is, it is a manifestation of a disease or a disease state.
If such behavior is often manifested in a state of intoxication or drug intoxication, then doctors qualify these conditions as toxic encephalopathy.

Impulsivity and behavior control disorder

Impulse control disorders (ICDs) is a category that is widespread in Western scientific literature; in our country, experts use the term situational control disorder or impulsive behavior. This disorder should not be taken as a separate disease or diagnosis. This is a term that denotes the presence of the same type of symptomatology. The symptoms of this condition will be described below.

These disorders (symptoms) are included in the context of general mental disorders, in which patients and their environment, as a rule, note a significant deterioration in social and professional activities, and can also entail both legal and financial difficulties. Medical studies have shown that loss or impairment of situational control over behavior, manifested by impulsive behavior, can respond well to treatment, however, few people go to the doctor with such a problem, believing that it is either a character trait, promiscuity, or a manifestation of whims and poor parenting. There are different types of impulsive behavior

Types of impulsive behavior

Impulsive irascibility (impulses to break or crush);
Impulsive sexual behavior;
Impulsive change in eating behavior;

These disorders are characterized by difficulty in resisting momentary urges that are excessive and/or always cause trouble for the patient and those around him.

Impulsive behavior disorders are quite common among adolescents and adults, they cause a significant decrease in the quality of life, but they are effectively treated with the help of behavioral psychotherapy and pharmacological therapy.

The purpose of this review is to provide a clinical picture of psychiatric disorders, which may include impulsive behavior syndrome, including neurological spectrum diseases, and to review the evidence for the pharmacological treatment of these disorders.

Main characteristics of the disorder

Despite the degree of influence of common clinical, genetic and biological characteristics on the development of impulse control disorders, the mechanism of occurrence of these disorders is not entirely clear.

Many impulse control disorders include basic qualities:

repetitive impulsive behavior despite adverse consequences;
lack of control over problem behavior;
an irresistible desire or state of "thrust" for impulsive behavior or participation in such situations;
at the moments of manifestation of impulsive behavior, a person experiences satisfaction.

These features have led to the description of impulse control disorders as behavioral addictions. Some experts often consider such symptoms as compulsive behavior. Although this connection is not yet fully understood, there are some differences in the definition of these concepts.

impulsivity and compulsiveness

Impulsivity is defined as a predisposition to a quick, spontaneous reaction to internal or external stimuli without considering the negative consequences.

Compulsiveness is defined as performing repetitive, compulsive actions to reduce or prevent anxiety, distress, danger, etc. These actions do not provide pleasure or satisfaction.

These types of conduct disorder should rather be seen as opposites. Compulsiveness and impulsivity, however, can occur simultaneously in the context of the same mental disorder, thereby complicating the diagnosis and understanding, including the treatment of certain behavioral disorders.

One of the main consequences of psychotrauma (PTSD) is the loss of control over one's own impulsive behavior. People do things without thinking about the consequences.

It is clearly seen that their self-destructive actions are the result of the influence of uncontrolled impulses, and their authors then suffer from the long-term results of these actions. Their desire for immediate gratification hinders their ability to see into the future.

Behavioral economists have called this phenomenon time discounting. Do you want to get a thousand dollars right now or two thousand, but in a year? What about $1,900, but in a year? Or 1500? What about 1200?

It turns out that addicts, gamblers or smokers prefer immediate gratification more often than most of us.

They have a distorted idea of what might happen, and their vision of the future is limited to days, not years.

Other studies have shown that we have two competing systems operating in different positions of our "involuntary self": an impulsive system that wants rewards immediately, and a control system that regulates these impulses and decides (unconsciously) which choice is preferable. In people with addictions, the impulsive system is stronger than normal.

The same applies to anyone who has trouble controlling impulsive actions and that's practically every person with self-destructive behavior.

By giving free rein to our impulses, we allow ourselves to shirk work, unleash our anger, yell at our children, break our diet. Thus, it becomes obvious that we must find ways to strengthen our control system and impulse control. Starting with conscious effort, with practice, we acquire new habits with greater ease, and then they become part of our "involuntary self".

Impulse Control Training

Enter into a state of awareness and start thinking about the distant future. What will happen in a year? Do you still want to smoke, drink too much? Do you want to make stupid decisions, put yourself in danger, turn away from others? And then blame yourself for not being able to change? You know you don't want to. When you feel this temptation, learn to combine it with the thought, "What kind of person do I want to be?"
Cut out unnecessary noise. We are more prone to impulses when we are distracted by a lot of demands or under a lot of pressure. In such situations, if we know ourselves to be prone to unintelligent choices, we can refuse any decisions until all this noise has died down, or when we can really focus.
Control your anxiety. The problem of choice breeds stress. And we strive to get rewards faster to stop the anxiety that accompanies decision making. Practicing mindfulness, controlling intrusive thoughts, deep breathing, and other anxiety coping techniques can help you make better choices.
Do not listen to the sirens: act like Odysseus, who plugged his ears with wax to avoid temptation. Try to remember that temptation itself makes you impulsive. Get it out of sight, out of your head, get distracted. Replace it with useful temptations.
Imagine how you become strong, how proud of yourself. You don't have a headache in the morning. You will not do stupid things in the evenings. You will become slimmer. You will live longer, enjoy life more, become more attractive. Try to imagine all these changes in detail and strengthen your desire to achieve this.
Stop. Wait five minutes and then decide whether to wait or give in to temptation. Give yourself five more minutes if you need to. And maybe five more, and so on, until the "involuntary I" does not bypass the dangerous impulses.

Renowned neurophysiologist Richard Davidson, studying older people, found that the brains of calm and balanced people show more activity in the prefrontal cortex (this area, we believe, is responsible for the control function in the brain), which controls the amygdala, which is responsible for emotional reactions and the release of such stress hormones like cortisol.

The amygdala is the emotional center of the brain, and if the cortex loses control of it, we begin to act under the influence of impulsive emotions. Davidson is convinced that people acquire the ability to control impulses over the years through a process of internal unconscious training. This is how wisdom develops as we get older.

But what if we conduct such hidden training deliberately? There are many studies showing that focused attention determines the way our brain develops.

In one set of experiments, monkeys listened to music while simultaneously receiving light, rhythmic taps on their fingers. Some monkeys were given a reward when they noted a change in rhythm; others got a tasty treat when they noted the change in music. After six weeks of practice, the "rhythm group" had an enlarged area of the brain that regulates finger movements. In the "musical group" this area has not changed at all, but the area associated with hearing has grown. Don't forget that all monkeys were trained in the same way: they all listened to music and received rhythmic beats at the same time. The difference was only in the direction of attention. Analyzing this study, Sharon Begley* writes: “Experience, multiplied by attention, leads to physical changes in the structure and further functioning of the nervous system.

Moment by moment, as we choose and sculpt changes in our consciousness, we choose what we will be in the next moment in the most direct sense, and this choice is embodied in the physical form of our material Self. Directed attention determines the way our brain develops.

Focus on doing something good, and don't get distracted by the noise and turmoil associated with the injury. Make a list of rewards or rewarding activities that you can do instead of doing self-destructive things.

This kind of focus turns out to be more than a mere distraction. Training concentration and focus changes our brain. Concentration and the ability to turn off interference are skills that can be learned.

Each episode, when our partner upsets us and we scold him, makes the next quarrel more likely. The neural connections between our disappointment and our quarrel are simultaneously activated and linked together.

On the other hand, if we learn to take a deep breath as soon as a partner upsets us, we can activate the links between conflict and calm reaction.

We just need to remember that this happens regardless of whether we want it or not. And every time we do something, the probability of repeating this action increases. Therefore, it is worth making the best choice.

* Sharon Begley (Sharon Begley, b. 1956) - well-known journalist, graduate of Yale University, popularizer of science, author of popular science books. The book How Emotions Control the Brain (St. Petersburg: Piter, 2012), which she co-authored with Richard Davidson, became a worldwide bestseller.

In life, each person meets people with different characters. Have you ever dealt with a person who struck with his inconstancy? Such people, as a rule, tend to change their minds quite quickly, they are characterized by instant mood swings.

It would seem that just now he was smiling and in a good mood, when suddenly something affects his mood, and aggression and discontent appear. Also, these people amaze with their lightning-fast decisions. What explains this human behavior? In psychology, this is called impulsiveness.

Impulsivity is a feature of the human nature, manifested in the tendency to make decisions without thinking through the consequences. Impulsive people are guided in their behavior not by reason, but by emotions and temporary circumstances.

More often than not, this behavior only leads to negative consequences. This is due to the intemperance, irascibility and harshness that often manifest themselves in such people. In other words, we can say that impulsive actions are actions performed without considering the consequences, without prior reflection.

Some people confuse impulsiveness with decisiveness, this is a very common misconception. However, there is a big difference between these two states. Decisive individuals are firmly confident in their decision or action, and this confidence also extends to the result of their activities.

Impulsive individuals are distinguished by the fact that they first take actions, and then consider the consequences. Such people tend to be disappointed in the end, as a result of which they may experience remorse or further complicate the situation.

Varieties

It is common for every person to sometimes be impulsive, but for some individuals this becomes the norm. Impulsive states have several varieties and may also indicate some psychological diseases:

Pyromania is the desire for arson.
Kleptomania is the desire to steal.
Food impulsivity - manifests itself in various interactions with food.
Gambling addiction is a predisposition to gambling.

This is only part of the psychological states when the human mind cannot resist its desires. Impulsive decisions are often the result of poor self-control. Distinctive features of such people are increased activity and explosive character.

These are bad interlocutors: conversation with such people is difficult and often does not have a specific topic, as they tend to quickly switch between different topics. When asking a question, they do not wait for an answer and can talk for a long time, even if they are no longer listening.

Impulsivity also differs in the situations in which it occurs:

Motivated - in this case, it is caused by stressful situations, when even quite adequate people can show an unexpected reaction to circumstances. This has happened to everyone, and it does not cause concern.
Unmotivated - when strange and unusual reactions to what is happening become the norm for this person. In this case, the abnormal behavior is not episodic and recurs quite often, leading to some psychological illness.

This condition is possible in both children and adults. However, for children, psychologists do not define this as a diagnosis, since children are not always inclined to think about their decisions and take responsibility for them. But in adults, this is already a deviation from the accepted norms of behavior.

Very often, impulsive behavior can be observed in adolescents. This is understandable: various stresses at such a critical age are more often the cause of unreasonable behavior. It can also be emotional excitement or overwork.

Sometimes teenagers cause such a state artificially, the reason for this is stubbornness and a desire to show independence. Impulsive states in adults are a psychological deviation only if they appear very often and the person himself is not capable of self-control.

Advantages and disadvantages

The impulsive state of many causes a negative attitude. This is due to the fact that people equate the word "impulsiveness" with such concepts as irritability, insecurity, short temper. Of course, these properties can accompany impulsive manifestations, but this condition also has its strengths:

1. Fast decision making. Do not confuse it with determination, but this is the positive side of the impulsive state. Such individuals are prone to rapid adaptation. Usually they are indispensable in situations where circumstances change quickly and you need to make decisions, adapting to them.

2. Intuition. This state also develops intuition. Each of us would be glad to have an intuitive character or to have such a person nearby. Intuition is a very strong side of character that helps us in life.

3. Explicit emotionality. Impulsive states imply a person's openness. Such individuals do not hide their emotions. This can also be attributed to the positive features. The better you understand the emotional state of a person, the easier it is to develop relationships with him. An impulsive person will never show hidden intentions.

4. Truthfulness. Perhaps this is the most important positive moment in the impulsive state. Impulsive people rarely lie. Lies are more characteristic of those who have a calm and reasonable character. With heightened emotionality, it is difficult to hide the truth. Any manifestation of deceit is highly undesirable for an impulsive person, since sooner or later emotions will take over and he will express everything.

Impulsive states have a number of advantages, as we have already understood. However, along with this, they are associated with a number of negative aspects. These include common mistakes. When making quick decisions, a person makes rash actions, which often leads to mistakes.

The minus of the impulsive state is that the mood of the individual often changes, and you will never understand what controls him at the moment and what to expect in the next moment. And since each individual strives for order and constancy, the emotional person is the cause of discomfort.

This is also manifested in relationships: it is difficult to experience romantic feelings with such people - either he loves and adores you, or he gets angry because of minor misunderstandings. Since it is impossible to predict the behavior of an impulsive person, it is very problematic to adapt to it.

However, being with such a person has its advantages. This is a very adventurous person, and you can be sure that you will always receive support in unexpected decisions. Also, the open emotionality of such a person can help you learn to capture many factors that affect his mood, and in the future use this for your own purposes.

At the same time, one should not unconditionally trust him: impulsive people tend to change their minds often and do not always keep promises. It is worth remembering that an impulsive individual will never act as an aggressor. If you encounter an emotionally aggressive person, then most likely this is a mentally unbalanced person.

Impulsivity cannot be good or bad. This is a state that has both positive and negative aspects. An impulsive person should use his strengths and pay a lot of attention to working on his weaknesses.

Impulsive personality type

The impulsive personality type is characterized by emotional imbalance, impulsiveness, low self-control, and an increased tendency to aggressive outbursts.

Such people often perform actions or deeds without any purpose or intention, they are rather guided by spontaneous desires or whims, which can have serious consequences. For example, a man might be walking down the street and throwing a stone at a window. He explains his act by saying that he just wanted to do it. Also, a person may understand that this should not be done, but feels that “nothing” can be done with himself, thus justifying his behavior. That is, in this case, he actually does not want to do anything with himself, and uses such excuses to shift responsibility to something that is “stronger” than him. For example, a man stole a bag from a woman, and already during the investigation he states that he did not plan to do this, but the bag looked so “successful” that he simply could not restrain himself.

The actions of an impulsive person are very fast (the time between the emergence of a desire and its satisfaction is very short), spontaneous (it arises very unexpectedly and also disappears) and unplanned (the person did not plan to perform it).

In an ordinary person, a whim arises when it corresponds to the basic desires and goals of a person, and thus stimulates him to further actions. For example, a woman who loves to dance accidentally saw an ad about a performance by her favorite band. She sharply wanted to get on it, and when she satisfied this whim, she had a desire to more seriously engage in dancing, which was the incentive to enroll in a dance school. This incentive helped to get excellent results in the classroom. For an impulsive person, a whim remains a whim, it does not stimulate him to achieve great goals and is not "woven" into the structure of his main interests. For example, there was a desire to buy a car, and a person instantly satisfies his ego, and then the purchased purchase is almost all the time in the garage, because it is easier for a person to travel by public transport or taxi.

This is due to the fact that impulsive people have very little interest in others: they do not have good friends and close relationships, work does not give much pleasure, they also think and dream about the future not much, the cultural side of life does not capture or interest. This is the main reason for impulsivity. An ordinary person, when an impulsive whim arises, compares it with the main desires, and if they diverge, he finds the strength in himself to endure the inconvenience of an unsatisfied momentary whim for something more. For example, if a person wants a car at a given moment, but at the same time he has an even greater desire to build a house, he will think that at the moment he can use this money to satisfy his dream (invest in construction), and he will travel by public transport . And for him this is not a problem, because he is focused on a more global goal. An impulsive person, due to the lack of such goals, cannot endure inconvenience and therefore all the time goes on about his momentary whims.

The positive side of this type is a certain spontaneity, which can generate new and original ideas, which cannot always be achieved only with the help of intellect.

An impulsive person is not used to critically analyzing events. If the decision-making scheme of an ordinary person is as follows: impression - analysis of information - comparison of different options, choice of the best - action, then for an impulsive person it is as follows: impression - action.

Such a person sees in the environment only what impressed and captured him, but at the same time does not notice the negative aspects of these things. He very easily copes with real problems and tasks, but regarding his future he can be helpless. For such people, what is happening at the moment comes to the fore, they do not look into the future, they do not compare current actions with results. For example, ordinary people, before getting married, meet for a while, study each other, and only then decide on a serious step. But impulsive people can, at the first meeting, be so carried away by another that after a few days they run to the registry office, and then, not being ready for family life, after a short time, apply for a job. h water.

An impulsive person is a person who can be creative, make decisions quickly, but often these decisions are not objective and not thought out.

Impulsivity psychology trait

It's no secret that a woman is a very emotional being. She rarely thinks with reason, her emotions pour over the edge. And only later can she think about what she did and what she said. But it may be a later realization of a fait accompli. How to be a woman with her impulsive and emotional character.

Impulsivity is a psychology trait. Impulsivity as a character trait lies in the fact that a woman always knows the answer to any question (even if it is wrong). Only problems arise on the way, the woman immediately goes into the category of a counterattack and begins her "combat" actions. Although in his right mind he understands that it is impossible to do this and that more reasonable decisions must be applied, but he cannot do anything with himself.

And how easy it is to draw conclusions in a hurry, without thinking about the results of these conclusions. True, when the emotions subsided and the mind turned on. The woman understands her reckless step. But it is very difficult to turn back time and correct the mistake. How to learn to treat situations correctly, not to solve everything at once and with a hot head.

An impulsive woman is much like a small, unintelligent child. She, like a foolish child, follows only her own emotions and fleeting impulses to action. In this case, most often he does not realize what he has done, neither in what he says, nor in what he does.

But still, there are positive features in impulsivity:

resentment does not mean vindictiveness and vindictiveness;

bad mood lasts quite a bit of time;

decision making takes place in minutes;

all questions are always answered;

actually assumes all responsibility;

all the problems that arise, clicks like nuts.

Few have these qualities. But, unfortunately, such manners of a high-speed car are not always brought to good. She gives a lot of trouble not so much to others as to herself. The consequences of deeds and words do not always go unpunished, because in most cases they are offensive and contrary to the general set of rules.

In order not to disturb the peace in the environment. You have to learn how to slow down when cornering. Before. Before you say something or make some important decision, you need to count to 10 and back, and only then open your beautiful mouth to express the next decision.

If a woman cannot stop herself, she will need the help of others. You have to negotiate with family and friends. To help them control their emotions with certain conditioned signals. Which they will serve at that moment. When a woman starts to “chop off her shoulder” again. It can be different signs from the word "stop" to clapping your hands. Stopping, a woman will be able to evaluate her words and deeds.

Curbing your own impulsiveness and emotionality is very difficult. It will not be possible to solve this difficult task immediately. Close women and others are most likely aware of this character trait and try to treat her loyally to what has been said and done. But unfamiliar people may be frightened of such inadequate behavior, and this may simply lead them into a stupor. An impulsive person should immediately report his character trait to others and unfamiliar people so as not to harm himself. And learn to apologize for what you did during the "fever".

And most importantly, we must remember that it is possible to correct what has been done. Just need to find the right words. For example, you made a rash decision, the next day or after some time, you can refer to the thoughtlessness of the decision and make another more reasonable one and weigh all the pros and cons.

Constant work on yourself will lead to positive results.

Strengths of an impulsive person and work on mistakes

Greetings, my dear readers! Have you ever met such people who change their minds very quickly, easily move from joy to anger, and their smile is instantly replaced by a grin? What does an impulsive person mean, what are their strengths and weaknesses, and what is the best way to establish contact with such a person? Today I will answer all these questions and tell you what to do if you suffer from your impulsiveness.

pros

Most often, if you are told “he is an impulsive person,” then you will initially treat him with a slight tinge of negativity. Why it happens?

Because impulsiveness is more associated with negative evaluation: unreliability, ambiguity, short temper, irritability, and so on. But we will talk about the disadvantages later. Let's try to understand the strengths of an impulsive person.

Impulsive nature allows a person to make decisions quickly. After all, most often such people quickly react to external circumstances. Thus, we get a person who will perfectly adapt to a rapidly changing environment.

Quick decision-making, in turn, develops intuition, which greatly helps in life. Agree, a person with a more developed intuition is more likely to succeed. What skill can be compared to intuition? Probably none.

You will immediately know what emotion an impulsive person is experiencing. Have you met such people, on whose face nothing is written and it is absolutely impossible to understand what they are feeling right now? With an impulsive person, this cannot happen.

If he is angry, then you will understand this very well. And the better you understand other people's emotions, the easier it is for you to communicate with a person. Therefore, when such a person is angry, then you can simply not approach him at that moment. And wait until he comes to a calm and balanced state.

An impulsive person is a bad liar. To lie well, you must have composure, calmness. An emotional person will definitely miss and not bring the lie to the end. Therefore, most often such people do not even resort to lies. Suspicious manipulations will be clearly visible in their behavior.

Minuses

However, for all their strengths, impulsive people also have a number of problems. Making impulsive actions, a person can make a mistake because he thought badly, did not consider all the options for possible consequences. Making a quick decision definitely helps, but not in all situations.

Such people are dangerous with their lightning-fast mood swings and it is not always clear who is the cause of anger or sadness. A person subconsciously strives for order, constancy. Therefore, communication with such emotional people can be annoying and infuriating.

Emotional people really often fail. You agreed on a meeting, prepared everything for it, spent time, effort, and maybe money. But the man did not come, simply because he changed his mind. Unreliability is perhaps the strongest minus of an impulsive person.

It is very difficult to be in a romantic relationship with such a person. Today he is madly in love, and tomorrow he is angry at a trifle, after a couple of hours he is offended, and a second later he kisses him tightly.

It is simply impossible to predict the behavior of such a person. And this, again, does not fit into the human desire for consistency and constancy.

If you are such a person and this bothers you, then do not despair. Everything can be changed, changed and become more calm. If emotions are getting in the way of your life, then be sure to read the article "How to Become Emotionally Resilient".

Don't believe you can change yourself? Then I have another article for you: "How to change yourself and your character."

How to deal with an impulsive person

Understanding an impulsive person is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. There are things that piss him off, there are those that bring joy and happiness. And since he does not hide his emotions, an observant person will quickly understand what is definitely not worth doing or saying.

There are some advantages to dealing with an emotional person. For example, such people are more likely to agree to adventurous offers, they are more willing to travel around the world or go with you to the mountains. But they can easily abandon the idea at the last moment.

You should not place great hopes on the promise of such people. Their mood will change, they may change their mind. Therefore, it is worth listening, but not trusting completely. After all, with them it all depends on the mood and emotional state.

But an impulsive person rarely acts as an aggressor, unlike, for example, a mentally unbalanced one. If you come across the second option and you absolutely do not understand how to interact with it, then the article “Who is a mentally unbalanced person” will come in handy. It is necessary to communicate with such a person with special care.

Impulsivity is neither good nor bad. It has both positive and negative points.

If you are an impulsive person, then you have the opportunity to use your strengths, but do not forget to work on your weaknesses.

Are you quick to make decisions? What can piss you off and how quickly will it happen? Do you forgive easily? Do you consider yourself an emotional person?

An impulsive person is.

An impulsive person - who is he?

Impulsivity (lat. impulses - push, motivation) - a feature of human behavior (in stable forms - a character trait), consisting in a tendency to act on the first impulse, under the influence of external circumstances or emotions. An impulsive person does not think about his actions, does not weigh all the pros and cons, he reacts quickly and directly and often just as quickly repents of his actions. From I. should be distinguished decisiveness, which also involves a quick and energetic reaction, but is associated with thinking about the situation and making the most appropriate and reasonable decisions.

Impulsivity is a character trait, a tendency to act without sufficient conscious control, under the influence of external circumstances or due to emotional experiences. As an age feature, I. manifests itself mainly in children of preschool and primary school age, which is due to the insufficient formation of the function of control over Behavior. With normal development, this form of I. is corrected quite optimally in the joint games of children, in which the implementation of role-playing rules requires restraining one's immediate motives and taking into account the interests of others. playing, and also somewhat later - in educational activities. Upon reaching adolescence, I. can again manifest itself as an age-related feature, already associated with an increase in emotional excitability. I. contributes to the spontaneous emergence of conflicts with others in situations that are objectively not conflictogenic. For I.'s diagnosis use special tests and questionnaires, for example. J. Kagan's test and I. Eysenck's questionnaire.

Impulsivity is a painful form of behavior in which the patient's actions are performed in connection with irresistible urges, impulses, proceed violently, automatically, and are not controlled by consciousness.

impulsiveness

Brief explanatory psychological and psychiatric dictionary. Ed. igisheva. 2008 .

Dictionary of practical psychologist. - M.: AST, Harvest. S. Yu. Golovin. 1998 .

Psychological dictionary. THEM. Kondakov. 2000 .

Big psychological dictionary. - M.: Prime-EVROZNAK. Ed. B.G. Meshcheryakova, acad. V.P. Zinchenko. 2003 .

Popular psychological encyclopedia. - M.: Eksmo. S.S. Stepanov. 2005 .

See what "impulsivity" is in other dictionaries:

Impulsivity is a character trait expressed in a tendency to act without sufficient conscious control, under the influence of external circumstances or due to emotional experiences. As an age-related feature, impulsivity manifests itself predominantly ... Psychological Dictionary

impulsiveness - impulsiveness, nervousness, harshness, involuntariness Dictionary of Russian synonyms. impulsiveness noun, number of synonyms: 5 explosive character (1) ... Synonym dictionary

IMPULSITY - IMPULSITY, impulsivity, pl. no, female (book). distraction noun to impulsive. Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

impulsiveness - IMPULSIVE, oh, oh; veins, vna (book). Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ozhegov

IMPULSITY - (from lat. im.pu.l sivus prompted) eng. impulsivity; German Impulsive. A character trait that manifests itself in restraint, a tendency to act on the first impulse. I. may be the result of a lack of self-control, age characteristics and ... ... Encyclopedia of Sociology

Impulsivity - (lat. - push) - a moral ethical quality of a person, manifested as a tendency to act under the influence of the first impulse (impulse), spontaneously, suddenly, unmotivated and uncontrollable. Impulsivity also manifests itself as ... ... Fundamentals of spiritual culture (teacher's encyclopedic dictionary)

IMPULSITY - See reflexivity impulsivity ... Explanatory Dictionary of Psychology

impulsiveness - impulsyvumas statusas T sritis Kūno kultūra ir sportas apibrėžtis kilme plg. impulsas atitikmenys: engl. impulsiveness vok. Impulsivität, f rus.… … Sporto terminų žodynas

impulsiveness - impulsyvumas statusas T sritis Kūno kultūra ir sportas apibrėžtis Polinkis veikti iš karto, po pirmos paskatos (impulso), nesvarstant, negalvojant. Impulsyvumu pasizymi cholerikai. kilme plg. impulsas atitikmenys: engl. impulsiveness vok.… … Sporto terminų žodynas

impulsivity is a form of behavior due to illness, personality traits or the current situation, in which actions, actions arise in connection with irresistible urges, urges and proceed violently without a higher level of control ... ... Big Medical Dictionary

Impulsivity - what is it? How to understand that you are an impulsive person?

We are all different people: some take it for granted and comfortable to weigh each life step repeatedly, others are able to make serious, life-defining decisions on the fly. In a wide range of bright human character traits, impulsivity stands out - this is the attraction of a particular person to quick and thoughtless actions, when only their own motives, emotions, circumstances and people nearby are taken as the basis.

Surely everyone in their own environment has met such a person: he does not think about his actions, speech, decisions, instantly reacts to the circumstances and actions of other people, but this haste often makes him repent of his own behavior. Impulsivity is typical for children - preschoolers or children of primary school age cannot yet give an adequate assessment of their actions, and therefore do not bother much about their reflection. For adolescents, impulsivity can be a consequence of increased emotional and hormonal excitability. The impulsivity of adults is manifested in neurosis, overwork, a state of passion and in some diseases.

Impulsivity is action on the first impulse based on emotions.

Impulsivity is different and, depending on the degree of manifestation, it can cause slight inconvenience to its owner or become a real problem in his life and environment. Impulsive behavior ranges from mild dissatisfaction, quick decisions and a quick return of self-control to painful impulsive manifestations:

kleptomania (craving to steal);
gambling addiction (attraction to gambling);
fetishism and other manifestations of impulsive sexual behavior;
anorexia or, conversely, overeating, etc.

impulsive person

Weigh all the pros and cons? - No, this is not about an impulsive person. And even a fleeting reflection on his actions is beyond his control, and it is this factor that distinguishes an impulsive person from a decisive person. In both cases, there is a quick and energetic reaction, but for impulsive people it is more likely with a minus sign than a plus - just as quickly as they do, they repent of their rash and inappropriate actions.

How to understand that you are an impulsive person? There are several signs that determine the manifestations and tendency to impulsivity:

things and people that were previously invisible in the environment begin to annoy;
emerging neurosis, stress, inability to cope with their own excited psychological state;
“Start up with half a turn” is now not a problem at all;
mood swings - from melancholy to unreasonable aggression;
after the successful manifestation of a rash act or actions caused by impulsiveness, a person feels satisfied.

Impulsivity rarely occurs on its own - it always has a reason

Psychologists note the manifestation of impulsivity as a sign of unresolved problems in childhood. Too strict parents, prohibitions, the demand from an active child for restraint and calmness will later develop into a discrepancy between the externally educated and the internal natural, and have every chance of turning into a spiritual discord for a person rich in emotions.

If impulsivity begins to create serious problems that a person cannot cope with on his own, it is recommended to seek specialized help. Psychologists and psychotherapists will be able to professionally assess the patient's condition, and questionnaires and tests will specify the problem. Impulsiveness that subjugates a person must certainly be fought: this will align relations with others and improve the quality of a person’s life. In case of serious problems and in accordance with the reasons that caused impulsivity, medical specialists will recommend an individual (according to the patient's personal characteristics) method of treatment.

Female impulsiveness

If you look at gender, then women are generally much more impulsive and this is understandable: emotional, without sufficient conscious control, they are driven by their own motives without logical planning for consequences. This does not apply to every girl or woman: some sensible ladies, when buying a fiftieth blouse, try on another twenty, and, for example, their own baby in a stroller adds a sense of responsibility to a woman, forcing mommy to work on herself.

Women's impulsiveness is short-lived, it is difficult to get rid of it completely, but you can learn to control it.

Women are more emotional beings than men, and therefore more susceptible to the psycho-emotional state, which is impulsiveness. For women, and for any other person, impulsivity can create considerable problems at work, in close relationships, in raising children - negative impulsivity requires you to “let off steam”, and therefore it is recommended that an impulsive person (regardless of gender) understand himself, understand the reasons the emergence of this state and learn to master it.

How to get rid of impulsivity?

If you do not pay attention to the first signs of impulsiveness in time, it will quickly develop into a persistent character trait and become a stumbling block in relations with other people - because they are not interested in the reasons, they see only their unpleasant manifestation. What to do with impulsivity and how to get rid of it? We offer simple methods:

Relieve nervous tension and fight stress: meditation, yoga, SPA treatments and massage, pleasant hobbies, sports and swimming, even shopping - everything that will return the emotional state to its previous course and will not allow the genie of impulsiveness to break out.
It is recommended to set specific achievable goals for deadlines: do you need repairs in your apartment, but there is no money? - repair the apartment gradually; no time to go with the child to the water park? - a walk in the nearest park on skis will be a good alternative; "Got" relatives and friends? - turn off your phone after 21:00 and enjoy a nice movie or book.

3. Impulsivity can manifest itself due to a banal lack of time: endless requests from relatives, demands from superiors, children demanding attention - where can you find the necessary time for all this? And now even an efficient woman turns into a twitchy monkey, who has no time even to look at herself in the mirror. When is it time to sit down and calmly think about pressing matters? In this case, healthy selfishness will help:

relatives can be calmly explained that they themselves are able to choose a new dog leash in the store;
you can’t argue much with the authorities, but an adequate superior person will listen to healthy arguments and take note;
you can’t push children aside, but for them there will surely be an interesting activity that can occupy children’s brains and hands for at least a couple of hours.

4. Love relationships and impulsiveness are to some extent peacefully coexisting concepts exactly until the moment when the latter develops into irascibility and hysteria. Psychologists in such cases recommend starting from the root causes (lack of attention and sex, fear of losing such a loved one, etc.) and talking with a partner about problems in a relationship.

Men are emotionally thick-skinned, and what a woman sees as a hurricane overhead, for them is just a small black cloud far, far above the horizon.

5. Find the causative agent of the problem that causes this state: it certainly exists, and when it is eliminated, the emotional background will become calmer and more balanced, and the rationality of thought and action will not be long in coming.

In any case, it should be remembered: impulsivity is not a disease with a critical diagnosis, but an emotional and mental state of a person, which, under the influence of circumstances and environment, can occur in everyone. Impulsivity, depending on the situation, becomes a defense or turns into an attack and aggression. It suddenly appears, and just as suddenly leaves. She is easily provoked, but subject to control in the case of working on her own behavior.

impulsive nature

The description is given according to the book by Norakidze V.G. Ttpy character and fixed installation

PERSONALITY CHARACTER WITH VARIABLE INSTALLATION (impulsive character)

As a result of characterological research, types of character were established that differ sharply from the harmonious whole and conflict characters. The main feature of these latter is dominance over the impulses of one's own needs, regulation of internal conflicts by the activity of the will, and the direction of social behavior in accordance with the requirements of the environment. And the conflict personality itself, on the basis of the strong activity of the second level of mental life, remains a self-controlled, organized, social being. But there were also such people whose essential property is weakness of will, strong impulsiveness and, as a result, unrestrained internal and external conflicts. Such people can be attributed to the type of impulsive nature. Among people of an impulsive nature, there are two sharply different types:

one). Impulsive-expansive with strong needs and

2) impulsively-labile with weak needs.

The attitude of an impulsive-expansive person is variable-stable, i.e., this personality does not have one type of attitude, at different times it has attitudes of various types (for example, plastic-dynamic, roughly dynamic, static, etc.). ), however, once developed, the installation is stable over time - it is stable. Of the factors - subjective and objective, necessary to develop an attitude in a person of this type, the subjective factor - need - has an advantage. The engine of his behavior is always an attitude created under the priority of a strong need. We are dealing with the opposite situation in the case of impulsively labile people. The attitude of the personality is also variable here, but unstable in time, quickly fading away, i.e. labile. The behavior of the individual proceeds in the external environment on the basis of an attitude fixed with the advantage of the situation. This is a person whose activity is determined by the external situation and is devoid of an internal guiding force. The named features of his installation determine the property of his character.

a) The character of an impulsive personality with a variable-stable attitude.

A person with a variable-stable attitude is a person of strong aspirations, active, looking for manifestations of activity in all circumstances of life. His life, activity, experiences are controlled by the impulse of intense needs, interests. Such strong impulses seek satisfaction. On the basis of a need and an imaginary situation, readiness for the corresponding behavior is easily created, but objective conditions rarely make it possible to immediately reveal impulsive behavior in the form of activity. A person, being a rational person, does not commit senseless actions. Here, the function of the will certainly manifests itself, but it is so weak that it fails to slow down impulsive actions. In this struggle, the will is helped by the unsuitable situation for the realization of such readiness and the impulse to preserve life; therefore it is possible that we are not dealing here with the true human will. The tendency of impulsive action searches uncontrollably for a way out, and the absence of it turns the personality into an arena of conflicts. In the end, the impulsiveness of the personality is nevertheless realized, carried out in some kind of eccentric act.

In such a personality, in excess, in comparison with volitional behavior, tendencies of impulsive behavior are given. This does not mean that her will is subject to a different pattern. The will is here again characterized by the stages described in the general psychology of the ordinary will. And we only emphasize the essential typical features. The will of this type of person is weak. At critical moments of life, she fails as a successful accomplishment of a negative task - inhibition of impulses, the ability to hide internal conflicts, internal excitement, and sometimes an inexpedient eccentric act. This hinders the possibility of positive work of the will. In such a person, it is not the will that essentially serves certain aspirations, but impulsive behavior arising from the attitude created on the basis of the actual situation. The will acts as an auxiliary function, introducing into the behavior that stubbornly proceeds against the background of consciousness, only doubts, conflicts, hesitation.

The excess of impulsive behavior especially you is at critical moments in life. In general, throughout the life of an individual, one often has to rely on the will. In cases where the "goal" of impulses and will coincide, the decision is made very quickly and firmly, the action proceeds energetically and inexorably. However, when the will has to fulfill its specific function, i.e., when the action has to be directed against the desire, reflections, doubts, inner hesitation begin; to make a decision in this case, the help of an outsider is also necessary. Behavior after a volitional decision, despite the variety of emotional background, is adamant. It is difficult for a person to switch, as a result of which volitional action in most cases turns into to stubbornness. Preliminary planning of future behavior is not typical for a person, as a result of which volitional action proceeds basically like an impulsive one. There is an excess of readiness to serve high goals in the personality. Her social purposefulness often becomes a motive for behavior, but these goals are still not volitional. The personality has no tendency to activate the needs and attitudes that are the basis of volitional behavior. A person probably has the corresponding needs, interests, worldview, therefore, as if nothing should prevent her from activating these fixed properties and deploying action in a volitional plan. For example, when the question is raised about the need to sacrifice oneself for the sake of one's neighbor, nothing should prevent a person of altruistic goals from acting according to the decision made on the basis of motivation. However, the person we have described does not fight for the achievement of these goals on the basis of a special decision, but acts impulsively. When such a person faces the question of helping a person, of self-sacrifice in the name of the motherland, etc., the corresponding step in this direction is not preceded by acts of choice of motivation, decisions and planning of future behavior. The personality begins the corresponding action in addition to the indicated stages of the will. Fixed readinesses are revealed in the acts of the corresponding action immediately, apart from being mediated by objectification. One gets the impression that her behavior is controlled by immediate impulses rather than by will.

Her moral behavior is reminiscent of a maternal act determined by a noble "instinct". A mother, seeing her child in a room on fire, rushes to save him without hesitation. Its action is due not to the will, but to the impulse of need. In the case when the impulses of the personality and its subjective tendencies completely coincide with the objective goal, it shows amazing energy, the ability of inexhaustible care and work. She can show amazing courage and self-sacrifice, a way to immediately, without hesitation, rush into the fire for the sake of lofty goals, endanger the future of her whole life for the rehabilitation of an offended, offended person.

In a social situation, such behavior is not always appropriate. Each sphere of public life has its own objective goals. A person who is ready for high goals must be able to serve these goals, he must take into account objectively existing goals, and this is possible only on the basis of the activation of conscious will. The person in question has a poorly developed sense of reality and fails to act in accordance with objective goals when conscious and planned behavior is required of her. The strength of the impulse of need compels such a person to immediately begin an action corresponding to objective goals; it often proceeds very expediently and achieves great effect, but there are times when it fails. The stubbornness characteristic of the personality, the difficulty of switching often serve as the reason for its inappropriate actions, which subsequently lead to regrets. Thus, instead of establishing complete unity between the objective goals and aspirations of the personality, both internal and external conflicts are born in it. This is facilitated by the fact that the tendencies of her impulsiveness tend to subjectivize objective goals. She often tries to transfer peculiar subjective strivings to objective ones, which can be harmful for the latter.

So, the aspirations of the individual, called upon to serve goals from the side of ethics, sometimes of great value, due to weak will and subjective tendencies intruding into it, often do not reach the goal. As a result, a person develops feelings of insecurity in his own abilities, doubts, anger, contempt and a whole range of affective-aggressive tendencies directed against those who stand in the way of his many obsessive aspirations.

In such a person, the feeling of love is characterized by exceptional intensity and a peculiar depth. She loves quite sincerely. The feeling of sympathy for others is an indicator of sincere sympathy, experiencing other people's sorrows and happiness as one's own. Pity, compassion are the main properties of her emotions, but she is not able to show such sympathy to all those close to her. Although the circle of objects of her sympathy is very extensive, next to it is a group of people to whom she treats with distrust, may dislike, hate, revealing hatred, contempt, enmity. In relation to the enemy, she is full of envy and contempt. She always has poisonous sarcasm ready for the enemy, a mockery that destroys the poisonous word. She does not forget the insult and is looking for an opportunity to take revenge, for years she remembers every word that was insulting to her. Such an attitude towards others will become quite understandable if we remember that an essential feature of such a personality is a pronounced "subjectivism", when everything is evaluated in accordance with one's own needs. Accumulated with excess unfulfilled needs are characterized by excessive activity. Due to a number of subjective and objective conditions, they tend to emerge outward in the appropriate situation. Personality in this respect is very extroverted. She is ready to give her whole subjective world to the objective one. However, such a manifestation of the inner nature is very subjective. Personality only then takes into account the objective if it corresponds to its interests.

The overwhelming majority of artistic characters of romantics, mystics and de cadents are a gallery of portraits of people with variable attitudes. The diversity of the behavior of these people, the romantic mental structure, full of an unsolved mystery, as it were, strange behavior, restless, eccentric struggle to achieve conscious and unconscious drives, the often tragic finale of striving for a goal attracted romantics - the banner-bearers of individualism and subjectivism in literature. . Types of expansive personalities were generously used by romantics as material for creating artistic characters.

The great realists - Shakespeare, Flaubert, Tolstoy, in order to embody their aesthetic ideal in artistic characters, use such a psychological type as a prototype. The power of a woman that dominates a man, gifted with boundless passion and beauty of the body, the power of a woman who combines the “features of Eve and the snake” and which can cloud the mind of even a very strong man and throw him into the abyss, is described by Shakespeare. As a prototype, he used Cleopatra - a beautiful woman, endowed with a rebellious soul, full of inextinguishable passions, capricious, eccentric, energetic, expansive, always under the pressure of internal conflicts, changeable in relationships with people.

If Cleopatra has all the means to satisfy her whims, Madame Bovary, personified by Flaubert, brought up in a bourgeois-philistine environment, has nothing to satisfy her aspirations, except for dreams and secret, humiliating love. The life drama of Madame Bovary lies in the complete discrepancy between her aspirations and dreams, on the one hand, and the reality in which she has to live, on the other. To describe the tragedy of a person who carries such internal contradictions in himself, Flaubert used the psychological type of an impressionable, sensitive person, with strong passions, but with a weak will, moreover, impulsive and expansive. Characterologically, Anna Karenina, the character of Leo Tolstoy, stands on the same plane, although she expresses a completely different moral idea than Shakespeare's Cleopatra and Flaubert's Madame Bovary. Anna Karenina, a deeply passionate, expansive and impulsive woman, violates the traditional norms of morality, but not finding an environment that matches her aspirations and her own restless, rebellious nature, ends her life tragically,

In such a person, adaptation to the external environment causes internal conflicts. In relation to a person acceptable from the point of view of her moral or vital needs, she is full of excessive sympathy, trust, respect, experiences excessive delight, admiration and even idolizes him. She treats those who block her path critically, she harbors hatred for his active impulsive action; such a person, an object in her eyes loses its value. Therefore, she is often in conflict with others. Many praise her, but many scold her. According to some, this is a direct, truthful, disinterested, telling the truth in person, strong-willed, likeable person, according to others, an unceremonious, upstart, envious, embittered poseur. Our society puts such impulsive persons in quite certain limits. Society binds his impulsiveness, and he often remains with unsatisfied aspirations and with accumulated unrealized forces. Such a person knows his own weakness and seeks the protection of a strong, harmonious person. Under the guidance of a strong, authoritative person who can understand her and accordingly direct her forces and positive aspirations, such a person is able to provide society with invaluable services, despite the fact that her activity is always accompanied by internal unrest and conflicts with others. If immoral tendencies are first instilled in her, her impulses will unfold without delay in the form of immoral impulsive actions. In some of the personalities we studied, we observed certain immoral tendencies that were established in them even in childhood, they were unable to fight them. In general, it can be shown that, depending on the nature of the impulses of need, interests, worldview, such an impulsive person can form both a personality of high aspirations and low morality, almost an intruder.

From everything that has been said about the structure of such a person, we conclude that the structure of his character is in conflict. However, the conflicts here are essentially due not to a sharp contradiction between aspirations turned into a property and volitional goals, but the difficulty of realizing his strong and diverse aspirations, caused by the personality's tendency to impulsive actions. The conflicts here do not express the tendencies of the destruction of the structure of the character of the personality, on the contrary, the conflict is the result of the tendency to establish internal integrity.

Such a person strives to live life to the fullest, to experience everything, to penetrate into all the convolutions of life, to unfold his restless, highly moral aspirations in the turbulent course of life, to satisfy the multitude of high moral tendencies that have turned into impulses. On the basis of impulsive behavior, such aspirations often remain unfulfilled, the inner life of the individual becomes an arena of anxiety and anxiety arising from unfulfilled needs. These emotions take possession of the whole personality and for a long time cause its unpleasant objective states.

In a person who is the bearer of high ethical inclinations and positive social forces in general, there is a strong desire to realize these forces. However, due to the incompatibility with the existing external environment of the impulsive nature of the personality and the weakness of some personality forces, its basic readiness often remains unfulfilled, but this never causes a weakening of activity. It is this tendency that should explain the fact that such individuals, despite frequent internal and external conflicts, burdened by unfulfilled desires, rarely fall into neurotic states and are constantly full of creative energy. But the simultaneous tendency, on the one hand, to realize, and on the other hand, to stifle one's aspirations, becomes a source of internal conflicts that grow out of the deep foundations of the character of these individuals. Nevertheless, the tendency to carry out impulses operates in them with indomitable force - they are unswerving and indefatigable in this striving and often show great strength and persistence of their impulses. However, the main drawback of these individuals is their weak will, and this circumstance deprives them of the possibility of realizing their tendencies.

British biologists have shown that rats with impulsive behavior are more prone to drug use compared to their balanced counterparts. Nervous rats in the nucleus accumbens, a special part of the brain responsible for the emotional control of behavior, have significantly fewer receptors that respond to the "pleasure substance" dopamine. Apparently, character traits such as impulsivity, impatience, and a tendency to seek thrills are closely related to dopamine receptors and affect the predisposition to drug addiction not only in animals, but also in humans.

Physicians, biochemists and geneticists all over the world are making great efforts to identify the biological basis of the tendency to drug addiction. To combat this evil, it is very important to learn how to identify “risk groups” in advance. To date, it is more or less clear that the hereditary components of predisposition to drug addiction and alcoholism are primarily associated with the functioning of the so-called "reward system" - a set of neural structures of the brain responsible for emotions. Neurons of the "reward system" transmit signals to each other through special substances - neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, various neuropeptides (for example, oxytocin, vasopressin), etc. Neurotransmitters secreted by neurons are perceived by other neurons using special receptor proteins.

Almost all drugs, psychostimulants, antidepressants and similar substances act precisely on this mechanism of signal exchange between the neurons of the “reward system”. Some of these substances imitate natural neurotransmitters and bind to the corresponding receptors (for example, opiates bind to receptors of certain neuropeptides), others enhance or weaken the secretion of neurotransmitters, and others affect the mechanisms of “reabsorption” (reabsorption) or destruction of neurotransmitters released into the interneuronal space. . For example, cocaine blocks the reabsorption of dopamine, which creates a feeling of euphoria.

It has been observed that predisposition to drug addiction correlates with certain variants (alleles) of the genes of some receptor proteins involved in the "reward system". For example, among alcoholics and drug addicts, there is an increased occurrence of certain variants of the D2 dopamine receptor gene. In these people, D2 receptors are either under-responsive or down-regulated on the surface of neurons in certain areas of the brain. Apparently, because of this, people lack the usual joys of life, and they are looking for ways to additionally stimulate their weakened D2 receptors.

Addiction has also been observed to correlate with certain personality traits and behaviors, such as impulsivity, novelty and thrill seeking, and antisocial behaviour. Incidentally, some of these behavioral traits also correlate with certain changes in the reward system and, in particular, dopamine receptors. However, these issues have been poorly studied so far. One of the difficulties is that on human material alone it is difficult to determine where is the cause and where is the effect. For example, if drug addicts are characterized by increased impulsivity and a small number of D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens, then this still does not say anything about whether these features are the cause or consequence of addiction to drugs.

Animal experiments are needed to resolve these issues. In the latest issue of the magazine Science a large group of British neuroscientists reported interesting results obtained in experiments on rats, which differ in the degree of impulsive behavior.

The scientists noticed that the rats of one of the laboratory lines clearly differ in their behavior during the standard 5-CSRT (Five-choice serial reaction time task) test. The test is as follows. The rat is placed in a chamber with five light bulbs. After 5 seconds, one of the bulbs lights up for half a second. The order in which the lights are turned on is random. The rat should stick its nose into the light bulb that just lit up. In this case, she is given some food. In case of an error or lack of reaction, the light is turned off for five seconds and, of course, no food is given to the rat. Then everything repeats. This test was designed to study reaction speed, visual memory, ability to concentrate and the like.

Surprisingly, about 7% of trained rats showed a tendency to stick their noses into light bulbs before any of them lit up (although they were "punished" for this in the same way as for the wrong light bulb). The researchers interpreted this behavior as "impulsive". It turned out that impulsivity is a stable character trait and persists in rats throughout life.

To check whether this feature is associated with some features of D2 receptors, rats were injected into the blood with a special substance ([ 18 F]fallypride), which carries a radioactive label and can selectively bind to D2 receptors. Then, using positron emission tomography, the concentration of the label in different parts of the brain was recorded. It turned out that in impatient rats in the nucleus accumbens (but not in other parts of the brain) the number of D2 receptors is indeed reduced compared to their calm relatives. At the same time, the amount of dopamine secreted by neurons in both was approximately the same.

Then eight impulsive and eight balanced rats were given the opportunity to inject cocaine into their blood (see Fig.). None of the rats in such a situation can resist the temptation and quickly "sits on the needle", but the impulsive rats injected themselves with the drug more often and increased the dose faster.

Thus, it was possible to clearly demonstrate the relationship between three indicators: 1) the "impulsiveness" of behavior, 2) the number of D2 receptors in the nucleus accumbens, and 3) the propensity to use the drug.

The result obtained suggests that in humans, too, impulsive behavior may most likely indicate a possible predisposition to the development of drug dependence (and is not a consequence of drug use, as previously assumed).

Impulsive actions can be caused by various reasons:

emotional environment when the individual has not formed adequate reactions;
general emotional instability of the individual;
state of intoxication;
habitual forms of behavior;
psychopathic personality anomalies.

In all impulsive reactions, the individual's personal readiness for certain actions is manifested. In conflict emotional states, feelings and emotions suppress the rational mechanisms of behavior regulation and acquire the leading regulatory function, turning into the main mechanism of impulsive actions.

Sometimes, due to a combination of circumstances that have suddenly arisen, a person is forced to act very quickly. The motives for acting in such situations are inaccurately called "forced motives". In this regard, it should be borne in mind that in extreme situations, the motives of a person's actions are folded, combined with a suddenly formed goal. What guides a person who defends himself from a sudden attack? In this case, his behavior is determined not by well-thought-out motives, but by a general motivation, a readiness for self-preservation, which manifests itself in stereotypical self-defense actions.

Often, impulsive actions are also performed for "internal reasons" - because of the desire of the individual to assert himself, to ensure his superiority over others, to give vent to accumulated negative emotions.

Impulsivity is most acutely manifested in a state of affect, strong emotional excitement, characterized by disorganization of consciousness, inhibition of all areas of the brain, except for the hyperdominant focus, disinhibition of extensive subcortical zones, and a sharp activation of impulsive, involuntary defensive and aggressive reactions. There are no conscious goals and motives in the case of affect - the setting is triggered to overcome the affector. The affect is associated with the inability of the individual to get out of this acute, critical situation in a socially adapted way.

The state of affect inhibits all mental processes not related to the hyperdominant and imposes on the individual an “emergency” stereotype of behavior (flight, aggression, screaming, crying, chaotic movements, shifts in the functional and physiological state of the body). In a state of passion, the most important mechanism of activity is violated - selectivity in the choice of a behavioral act, the habitual behavior of a person changes dramatically, his life positions are deformed, and the ability to establish relationships between phenomena is disrupted. One, often distorted, idea begins to dominate in consciousness - the so-called “narrowing of consciousness” occurs (inhibition of all areas of the cerebral cortex, except for those associated with the hyperdominant zone).

In actions performed in a state of passion, the goal is not specified, the action has only a general direction. (A crime committed in a state of passion has an indefinite and indirect intent).

Stress is also a conflict emotional state that activates impulsive reactions. The concept of "stress" (from the English stress - pressure, tension) covers a wide variety of mentally extremely stressful conditions caused by various extreme influences (stressors). In this case, the human psyche can be modified in the form of:

extreme activation of motor-impulsive activity,
development of deep inhibitory processes (stupor),
generalization - the spread of activity over a wide area of objects, a violation of differentiation in the choice of goals.

With demobilizing stress (distress), the entire motivational sphere of the personality and its adaptive-behavioral skills are deformed, the expediency of actions is violated, and speech capabilities deteriorate. But in some cases, stress mobilizes the adaptive capabilities of the individual (this kind of stress is called austress).

For a legal assessment of a person's behavior in a state of stress, it should be borne in mind that in a state of austress, a person's consciousness may not be narrowed - a person may be able to mobilize his physical and mental capabilities to the maximum to overcome the extreme impact in reasonable ways.

Human behavior, both under affect and under stress, is not completely relegated to the unconscious level. His actions to eliminate the affector or stressor, the choice of tools and methods of action, speech means retain social conditioning. Narrowing of consciousness during affect and stress does not mean its complete disorder.

Deformation in the emotional-volitional sphere of a person occurs not only in a state of passion and stress. One of the varieties of the so-called conflict mental states is the state of frustration (from Latin frustratio - vain expectation, frustration due to deception of expectations) - an extremely emotionally intense negative state associated with the emergence of an obstacle insurmountable for this ferocity in achieving a significant goal for him. The state of frustration manifests itself in unbearably painful, oppressive mental stress, in a feeling of despair, hopelessness, extreme aggressiveness towards the frustrator.

The impulsiveness of behavior is especially characteristic of psychopathic personalities and persons with an accentuated character, striving for immediate satisfaction of actualized needs without due regard for circumstances prone to instant compensatory reactions.

Impulsive crimes are the "closure" of acute mental states of an individual to situational circumstances that are conflicting for a given individual, which act as a trigger for his little-conscious illegal actions. The nature of these situational circumstances allows us to judge what is criminogenic for a given individual. All impulsive criminal acts are distinguished by the curtailment of conscious regulatory components of behavior. In these behavioral acts, the conscious-volitional regulation of behavior is deformed - conscious decision-making, detailed programming of action are replaced by attitude reactions - the individual's readiness for stereotyped actions characteristic of him in typical situations. The motives and goals of the action are overlapped by a generalized emotional impulse - to damage the traumatic emotional source.

However, impulsive criminal acts cannot be considered as a variety of random crimes. They, as a rule, are naturally conditioned by the personal characteristics of impulsive criminals. And this stereotyping of impulsive criminal behavior is essential for assessing the personality of a criminal and its resocialization. Impulsiveness of behavior cannot be unconditionally regarded as a mitigating circumstance. In many cases, it characterizes a stable socially dangerous quality of a person, his extremely low social responsibility.

What is impulsivity

Varieties

It is common for every person to sometimes be impulsive, but for some individuals this becomes the norm. Impulsive states have several varieties and may also indicate some psychological diseases:

Pyromania is the desire for arson.
Kleptomania is the desire to steal.
Food impulsivity - manifests itself in various interactions with food.
Gambling addiction is a predisposition to gambling.

Impulsivity also differs in the situations in which it occurs:

Motivated - in this case, it is caused by stressful situations, when even quite adequate people can show an unexpected reaction to circumstances. This has happened to everyone, and it does not cause concern.
Unmotivated - when strange and unusual reactions to what is happening become the norm for this person. In this case, the abnormal behavior is not episodic and recurs quite often, leading to some psychological illness.

Advantages and disadvantages

Impulsivity cannot be good or bad. This is a state that has both positive and negative aspects. An impulsive person should use his strengths and pay a lot of attention to working on his weaknesses.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Learning to control impulsive behavior

One of the main consequences of psychotrauma (PTSD) is the loss of control over one's impulsive behavior. People do things without thinking about the consequences.

Behavioral economists have called this phenomenon time discounting. Do you want to get a thousand dollars right now or two thousand, but in a year? What about $1,900, but in a year? Or 1500? What about 1200?

It turns out that addicts, gamblers or smokers prefer immediate gratification more than most of us.

They have a distorted idea of what might happen, and their vision of the future is limited to days, not years.

The same applies to anyone who has trouble controlling impulsive actions, and that's pretty much anyone with self-destructive behavior.

Impulse Control Training

Enter into a state of awareness and start thinking about the distant future. What will happen in a year? Do you still want to smoke, drink too much? Do you want to make stupid decisions, put yourself in danger, turn away from others? And then blame yourself for not being able to change? You know you don't want to. When you feel this temptation, learn to combine it with the thought, "What kind of person do I want to be?"
Cut out unnecessary noise. We are more prone to impulses when we are distracted by a lot of demands or under a lot of pressure. In such situations, if we know ourselves to be prone to unintelligent choices, we can refuse any decisions until all this noise has died down, or when we can really focus.
Control your anxiety. The problem of choice breeds stress. And we strive to get rewards faster to stop the anxiety that accompanies decision making. Practicing mindfulness, controlling intrusive thoughts, deep breathing, and other anxiety coping techniques can help you make better choices.
Do not listen to the sirens: act like Odysseus, who plugged his ears with wax to avoid temptation. Try to remember that temptation itself makes you impulsive. Get it out of sight, out of your head, get distracted. Replace it with useful temptations.
Imagine how you become strong, how proud of yourself. You don't have a headache in the morning. You will not do stupid things in the evenings. You will become slimmer. You will live longer, enjoy life more, become more attractive. Try to imagine all these changes in detail and strengthen your desire to achieve this.
Stop. Wait five minutes and then decide whether to wait or give in to temptation. Give yourself five more minutes if you need to. And maybe five more, and so on, until the "involuntary I" does not bypass the dangerous impulses.

But what if we conduct such hidden training deliberately? There are many studies showing that focused attention determines the way our brain develops.

On the other hand, if we learn to take a deep breath as soon as a partner upsets us, we can activate the links between conflict and calm reaction.

Impulsivity: Causes of Impulsive Behavior

“I just have to buy it, it’s impossible to resist!” “I'm so sorry I said that…” Sound familiar? We hear these words every day and often say them ourselves. Can we automatically regulate or control our actions, words and deeds, i.e. To what extent are we able to contain and resist our emotions and impulses? In this article, you will learn about what impulsivity is and what are the causes and symptoms of impulsive behavior. We will also tell you how you can assess the level of impulsivity.

Impulsivity and causes of impulsive behavior

What is impulsivity? Impulsivity is a feature of behavior and perception of the surrounding world, expressed in the tendency to act and respond to an event, situation or internal experiences quickly and thoughtlessly under the influence of emotions or circumstances. At the same time, the main symptom is an error in analytical judgment, in which the consequences of one's actions are not evaluated, which often leads to the fact that in the future an impulsive person repents of his actions.

Reasons for impulsive behavior

Using PET (positron emission tomography), neuroscientists have discovered the pathway that an impulse or thought takes in the brain, turning into a repetitive compulsion, and explained why it is so difficult for some people to control the impulse that occurs in exchange for a reward or a long-term goal.

What are the causes of impulsive behavior? Impulsivity or impulsive behavior is closely related to the neurotransmitter dopamine, a substance involved in learning and reward processes.

Researchers Idit Shalev from Yale University and Michael Sulkovsky from the University of Florida explained that the physiological cause of instantaneous and repetitive impulsive behavior is errors in the receptors of the frontal lobe, namely, the prefrontal cortex of the brain that occurs when this part of the brain performs executive functions, in particular, in the process of organizing decision making and applying appropriate judgment. Learn how to improve executive functions.

In other words, in order to get the fastest reward, there is a certain deviation in the work of the brain nuclei responsible for analyzing and making the most appropriate situation and deliberate decisions. Scientist Joshua Buckholz of Vanderbilt University suggested in 2009 that impulsive people have a lower number of active dopamine receptors in the midbrain area associated with the ability to make logical and deliberate decisions, which can also increase the risk of depression and impulsive behavior. Those. the smaller the number of active dopamine receptors in the midbrain region, where dopamine-synthesizing neurons are located, the more dopamine is released and the greater the degree of impulsivity.

Very often, impulsive people regret their behavior without stopping it. Often it becomes repetitive and compulsive, as in the case of addiction to psychoactive substances, gambling, compulsive shopping, smoking, alcohol, etc.

Symptoms of Impulsivity

On the other hand, a number of researchers (Michalczuk, Bowden-Jones, Verdejo García, Clark, 2011) named four main characteristics of impulsivity:

Inability to plan and predict: acting under the influence of impulses, we cannot foresee the expected and logical consequences, any result is a “surprise”.
Low level of control: another cigarette, a piece of cake, an inappropriate comment ... "no brakes" and self-control.
Lack of perseverance: procrastination, putting off uninteresting tasks. Only the search for bright and sharp emotions.
The constant search for new experiences and the need to urgently receive them, which is understood as the tendency to act under the influence of intense positive or negative emotions and states that distort the ability to make informed alternative decisions and thereby avoid constant remorse and remorse, very typical for impulsive people.

Impulses come in different forms and have different consequences - compare: eat an extra piece of cake and steal something, break something or harm yourself or others.

Please note that the key role in this case is played by the emotional state, while the processes discussed above that occur in the brain provoke the emergence of emotions that cloud the perception of reality, and the desire to get them at all costs becomes irresistible.

Symptoms of impulsive behavior

How is impulsivity diagnosed?

If you have this emotional state and suffer from its consequences, not to mention that it may be associated with other serious disorders such as dementia, ADHD or Parkinson's disease, it is necessary to seek a diagnosis from a specialist who will determine the severity and type of impulsive behavior and will offer effective therapeutic measures (including psychotropic drugs), tools and special tests. In addition, you can also take CogniFit neuropsychological testing, which will be an additional help in making a diagnosis by a specialist.

Translation by Anna Inozemtseva

Celma Merola, Jaume. Bases teóricas y clinica del comportamiento impulsive. Colección digital Professionalidad. Ed. San Juan de Dios. Barcelona (2015).

Shalev, I., & Sulkowski, M.L. (2009). Relations between distinct aspects of self-regulation to symptoms of impulsivity and compulsivity. Personality and Individual Differences, 47,84-88.

Why Are You So Impulsive? Self-regulation and symptoms of impulsivity. Timothy A Pychyl Ph.D. Don't delay. Psychology Today, Posted Jun 23, 2009

Behavioral scientist with extensive expertise in the OD & HR fields, developing organizational effectiveness projects to challenge human potential within organizations.

Types and methods of dealing with impulsive behavior

Impulsivity in psychology is considered as a predisposition to a spontaneous, lightning-fast reaction to any external or internal stimuli without taking into account the possible consequences. Within the framework of this concept, they speak of impulsive behavior, when a person acts thoughtlessly, but subsequently often repents of his deed or, conversely, further aggravates the situation. This feature of character can manifest itself both in childhood and in adulthood due to increased emotional excitability, overwork, emotional overstrain, as well as some diseases.

Such qualities as impulsiveness, initiative, flexibility of behavior, sociability are mainly inherent in extroverts. The concept of impulsiveness can be contrasted with reflectivity - the tendency to carefully think about the problem and weigh the decisions made.

In psychology and psychiatry, impulsivity is also interpreted as a painful form of behavior in which a person performs certain actions in obedience to irresistible urges, that is, almost unconsciously. It turns out that impulsive people have a lower level of self-control, and their actions are rather automated.

Impulsive behavior and its types

Impulsivity is manifested by difficulties in resisting certain momentary urges, which in the end almost always lead to trouble, both for the patient himself and for his immediate environment. Here are some examples of painful impulsive behavior:

kleptomania - a painful craving for theft;
gambling addiction - a pathological attraction to gambling;
impulsive purchases - the acquisition of unnecessary things, preoccupation with purchases;
pyromania - an irresistible craving for arson;
impulsive sexual behavior - uncontrolled, excessive sexual activity, which can manifest itself not only in sexual promiscuity, but also in voyeurism, fetishism, exhibitionism and other inclinations;
impulsive eating behavior - compulsive overeating, anorexia, bulimia, etc.

The above disorders are quite common among adults and adolescents, and lead to a significant decrease in the quality of life. However, increased impulsivity is quite easily eliminated with the help of competent cognitive-behavioral psychotherapeutic work.

Impulsive behavior in childhood

Impulsivity in children is also a character trait, consisting in actions on the first impulse due to the influence of any emotions or stimuli. Due to age-related underdevelopment of behavior control, this feature is often found in preschoolers and younger schoolchildren. With adequate development of the child, this form of impulsivity is quite easily corrected, but it is possible that as they grow older, this feature of behavior will return again.

In adolescence, impulsivity often becomes the result of emotional excitability, overwork, stress.

Most psychologists consider the impulsive behavior of young children as a normal phenomenon, since, due to age and a number of other objective factors, it is impossible to require them to fully control their own behavior. The central nervous system is actively formed in the first few years of life, and the child begins to more or less regulate spontaneously arising impulses only by the age of eight. In fact, the lack of voluntary regulation of behavior is simply a natural age feature.

Revealing

Impulsivity is diagnosed by a psychologist or psychotherapist using special questionnaires and tests. The final diagnosis is made if the patient's condition meets the following criteria:

impulsive behavior is constantly repeated, despite the negative consequences;
the patient cannot control his own behavior;
the patient experiences a literally irresistible desire to commit an impulsive act;
after performing an impulsive action, the patient feels satisfied.

Impulsivity is a condition that must be dealt with, first of all, to improve the quality of life of the patient himself. Depending on the causes that caused impulsive behavior and the personal characteristics of the patient, an individual treatment method is selected.

Fighting methods

So, the most preferred method of correction, the psychotherapist always determines strictly on an individual basis, considering many factors, including the characteristics of the development of the patient's nervous system. In some cases, well-chosen pharmacological therapy with the use of antidepressants and antipsychotics helps to get rid of impulsivity. Medications are prescribed in cases where impulsivity is a manifestation of any mental personality disorder.

Various psychotherapeutic methods also help to fight impulsive behavior. The most widespread is cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, which is most effective when carried out in an individual mode, but attending group classes is not excluded.

Impulsivity in childhood should also not be left to chance. And although the child's behavior will change as he grows up, the main task of adults is to develop in him the ability to correctly balance his own motives and expected results. That is, the child must understand that all his actions will entail certain consequences. At the same time, it is important to develop a system of rewards so that the child has a concept of “correct” behavior. In fact, the adult directs the child in the right direction and gradually shifts responsibility for his behavior to him. It is worth noting that the biggest mistake of parents is that they are trying to "train" their own child, teaching him self-control through punishment. This strategy is fundamentally wrong and can lead to the development of serious mental disorders in the child in the future.

Of great importance in the correction of impulsivity in preschoolers and younger schoolchildren are joint games that involve restraining impulses and taking into account the interests of other participants. In the future, educational activities will further contribute to the normalization of behavioral activity.

Material on correctional pedagogy on the topic:

The fifth part deals with the impulsive behavior of children

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IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR

Perhaps, the impulsive behavior of children, like no other, causes a lot of criticism and complaints from parents and educators. Such behavior is made up of the actions of the child, which he performs on the first impulse, under the influence of external circumstances, a strong impression, without weighing all the pros and cons. The child reacts quickly and directly and often just as quickly repents of his actions.

With impulsive behavior, the child is primarily driven by the opportunity to satisfy his own desires, to express the surging feeling. In this case, of course, a specific goal is not set, consciousness is not concentrated on the achieved result and the consequences of impulsive actions. This is how impulsive behavior differs from decisive behavior. The latter also involves a quick reaction, but is associated with thinking about the situation and making the most appropriate and informed decisions.

A child with impulsive behavior is distinguished, first of all, by incredible motor activity and increased distractibility, inattention. He constantly makes restless movements with his hands and feet; sitting on a chair, writhing, wriggling; easily distracted by extraneous stimuli; hardly waits for his turn during games, classes, in other situations; often answers questions without hesitation; has difficulty maintaining attention when performing tasks or during games; often jumps from one unfinished action to another; cannot play quietly, calmly, interferes with the games and activities of other children; commits dangerous acts without thinking about the consequences. Often a child with impulsive behavior begins to complete a task without listening to the instructions to the end, but after a while it turns out that he does not know what to do. Then the child either continues aimless actions, or persistently asks again what and how to do. Several times during the course of the task, he changes the goal, and in some cases he may completely forget about it; does not try to somehow organize his work in order to facilitate the completion of the task; does not use the proposed means., therefore, he makes many mistakes that he does not see and does not correct.

A child with impulsive behavior is constantly on the move, no matter what he is doing. Each element of his movement is fast and active, but in general there are many superfluous, side, unnecessary and even obsessive movements. Quite often, children with impulsive behavior are characterized by insufficiently clear spatial coordination of movements. The child, as it were, does not "fit" into the space (touches objects, bumps into corners, piers). Despite the fact that such children often have “live” facial expressions, moving eyes, fast speech, they often seem to be outside the situation (lesson, game, communication), and after a while they “return” to it again. The effectiveness of "splashing" activity in impulsive behavior is not always of high quality and often what has been started is not brought to the end. It is also impossible to predict what he will do in the next moment. The child himself does not know this either. He acts without thinking about the consequences, although he does not plan bad things and he himself is sincerely upset because of the incident, the culprit of which he becomes. Such a child easily endures punishment, does not hold evil, constantly quarrels with peers and immediately reconciles. This is the noisiest child in the children's community. Children with impulsive behavior find it difficult to adapt to school, do not fit well into the team, and often have various problems in relationships with peers. The maladaptive features of the behavior of such children testify to the insufficiently formed regulatory mechanisms of the psyche in them, and above all self-control as the most important condition and necessary link in the development of voluntary behavior.

In addition to the psychological basis, impulsive behavior may also have physiological causes. In this case, it is explained by the weakness of inhibitory control from the cerebral cortex, in particular, the second signaling system - speech. Speech, according to psychologists, is a powerful means of understanding one's behavior. A.R. Luria put forward the thesis that the development of a voluntary action begins with the child's ability to carry out an adult's verbal instruction. At the same time, the actions of the child are fundamentally different from involuntary movements. Action according to instructions is a means of mastering one's behavior mediated by a speech sign. What a child does today according to the verbal instructions of an adult, he will be able to do tomorrow in response to an order formulated in terms of his own inner speech. Children with impulsive behavior show a deep failure in this. Therefore, kind, cheerful, sociable, they cause a lot of criticism from adults, irritation from peers and need psychological and pedagogical assistance.

Overcoming the impulsive behavior of children occurs gradually, through the education of their endurance and self-control. Children are taught to think over and justify their actions, restrain their impulses, and take responsibility for their behavior. An effective means of correcting the impulsive behavior of older preschoolers and younger schoolchildren is the game. In particular, games with rules and long joint games with peers. In these games, children with impulsive behavior will be required to restrain their immediate impulses, obey the game rules, and take into account the interests of other players.

Impulsiveness. Impulses, craving for destruction

Manifestations that may accompany violations of impulsive behavior

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impulses to break or crush something

If such behavior is often manifested in a state of intoxication or drug intoxication, then doctors classify these conditions as toxic encephalopathy.

Impulsive Behavior Control Disorders

Types of impulsive behavior

There are different types of impulsive behavior, for example:

Key Features of Impulse Control Disorders

Many impulse control disorders include basic qualities:

repetitive impulsive behavior despite adverse consequences;

lack of control over problem behavior;

an irresistible desire or state of "thrust" for impulsive behavior or participation in such situations;

at the moments of manifestation of impulsive behavior, a person experiences satisfaction.

impulsive behavior

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impulses to break or crush something

Impulsivity and behavior control disorder

Types of impulsive behavior

Main characteristics of the disorder

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Impulse Control Training

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Strengths of an impulsive person and work on mistakes

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How to deal with an impulsive person

An impulsive person is.

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Impulsivity: Causes of Impulsive Behavior

Reasons for impulsive behavior

Symptoms of Impulsivity

How is impulsivity diagnosed?

Types and methods of dealing with impulsive behavior

Impulsive behavior and its types

Impulsive behavior in childhood

Revealing

Fighting methods

Material on correctional pedagogy on the topic:

Download:

Preview:

IMPULSIVE BEHAVIOR

Impulsiveness. Impulses, craving for destruction

Manifestations that may accompany violations of impulsive behavior

impulses to break or crush something

Impulsive Behavior Control Disorders

Types of impulsive behavior

Key Features of Impulse Control Disorders

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