The literature has struggled to reach an acceptable definition for the construct of impulsivity. Different models have variously suggested that the crux of the impulsivity construct lies in lack of planning, difficulties in concentration, failure of inhibition or attraction to sensation or immediate reward. More recently, research has suggested that impulsivity is increased in conditions of extreme affect, either positive or negative. The development of a novel measure of affective impulsivity, termed the UPPS-P Impulsive Behaviour Questionnaire, has enabled quantitative investigation of the construct. In spite of difficulties in defining impulsivity, there is a broad consensus as to the clinical utility of the construct. It has been shown to be highly predictive of a wide range of so-called impulsive behaviours, which include suicide, binge eating and substance use. At the same time, impulsivity is also an important trans-diagnostic construct. Trait impulsivity is elevated in many psychiatric disorders, including borderline personality disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. There is also strong evidence that both state and trait impulsivity are elevated in bipolar disorder, and that this elevation may explain a number of common comorbidities and behaviours found within the disorder. The thesis begins with a review of the literature, examining six key perspectives on impulsivity and their corresponding measures within Chapter One. Chapter Three also explores the construct and measurement of emotion-mediated, affective impulsivity. The literature linking impulsivity to behaviour in both clinical and non-clinical samples is reviewed within Chapter Two. Within Chapter Four the evidence supporting continuum models of psychiatric disorder is introduced, with particular discussion of the bipolar spectrum. Chapter Five brings together the preceding chapters, reviewing the literature supporting an interaction between psychiatric disorder, affect, impulsivity and behaviour. The first study of this thesis, a cross-sectional questionnaire study which can be found in Chapter Six, looked to extend these findings by exploring the presence and role of impulsivity in a wider bipolar spectrum sample. Experience of extreme positive mood state, as measured by the Mood Disorder Questionnaire, was found to relate to increased trait impulsivity and elevated engagement in a range of impulsive behaviour. A structural equation model demonstrated that impulsivity could be separated into cognitive and affective components, with affective impulsivity a key predictor of impulsive behaviour. Affective impulsivity was also shown to moderate the relationship between extreme mood experience and impulsive behaviour. The second study, found in Chapter Seven, used semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to develop an understanding of the individual’s experience of impulsivity and impulsive behaviour. The themes arising from these data (preparatory set, influence of the environment and others, intense emotional state, (lack of) agency, premonitory urge, reflexive action and sensation seeking) suggested that context plays an important role in the prediction of impulsive behaviour, with the physical and social environment of the individual an important factor in their behaviour. Results also supported the validity of the affective impulsivity construct. Individuals described their emotional state as having a large impact upon their decision to act impulsively, either using behaviour as a tool to moderate their affective state or experiencing cognitive difficulties as a result of it. Finally, data suggested a link between impulsivity and loss of control. Models were developed which indicate the presence of a ‘risky mood state’ in which individuals feel unable to control or predict their behaviour. Together the studies highlight the complexity of impulsivity, and the importance of a wide variety of other factors related to the construct. This is particularly true of affective state, which was seen through both studies to have a large impact on both the occurrence and experience of impulsivity and impulsive behaviour. The studies support the validity of the bipolar spectrum, with similar experiences found in our sample as in clinical samples. The finding that impulsivity is related to a wide range of high-risk behaviours, and that many of these behaviours are ego-syntonic, has important implications for the treatment of impulsivity.

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Rutgers University, 2009. / "Graduate Program in School Psychology." Includes bibliographical references (p. 85-93).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 145 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-104).

The United States Constitution provides its citizens protection from unreasonable searches and seizures from government officials, including police officers, through the Fourth Amendment. This Amendment applies to searches that violate a reasonable expectation of privacy. However, the Fourth Amendment does not protect citizens when they consent to a search voluntarily. It is necessary to determine whether or not a search is voluntary by looking at a variety of factors. Although an infinite number of factors can be considered to make this determination, race of both the police officer and of the person being searched should be considered, due to societal factors and racial stereotypes leading to intimidation factors. Participants (N=575) read a vignette about a situation in which a bus passenger was asked to consent to a search. The races of the police officer and the passenger were manipulated in a vignette (White, Latino, Black). Participants then answered a series of questions about privacy expectations and consenting to the search. The results suggested that race of police officers and recipients of search requests affects how search requests perceive the search, indicating that voluntariness of consenting to a search may also have some basis in race.

The current study looks to examine the possible effects expert witness trustworthiness and testimony quality depending upon participant need for cognition. The study involves 139 participants taken from Amazon's Mechanical Turk and an undergraduate research pool where they were asked to take part in a web-based survey. Participants read a capital sentencing summary and were randomly selected into one of four expert witness conditions that vary in trustworthiness and quality. Participants took the short form Need for Cognition scale and filled out a questionnaire about their perceptions of the expert's trustworthiness and testimony quality. Results indicated a marginal main effect of the trustworthiness condition as well as a marginal three-way interaction. Additionally, significant main effects for the sample and death qualification status of participants were found. Results are discussed in the context of the current study and past research and possible limitations and extensions of the current study are considered.

Recently, expert testimony in sexual assault trials shifted from an emphasis on Rape Trauma Syndrome (RTS) to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and experts have tied these diagnoses either loosely or tightly to the victim’s condition following sexual assault. In the current study, 326 jury-eligible adults completed a survey on Amazon Mechanical Turk in which they read a synopsis of a sexual assault trial and an expert testimony with either RTS, PTSD or neither; along with either no, loose, or tight links made between the diagnosis and the victim’s condition. There was no main effect of diagnosis label but testimony linkage did have an effect on verdicts. Women gave more guilty verdicts due to their lower levels of Rape Myth Acceptance (RMA), and the effect of gender partially depended on RMA. Implications for how expert testimony can affect defendants’ and plaintiffs’ credibility are discussed.

As the courts have evolved over the past 30 years towards increasingly punitive sanctions for youthful offenders, the fundamental protections afforded to adult defendants have become increasingly relevant for youthful offenders. Among these protections, the right of juveniles to be competent to stand trial has gained nearly universal recognition throughout this country’s courts. Congruent with theory and previous research, we hypothesized that age, intellectual ability, psychiatric symptomatology, and maturity would all be directly related to adolescents’ competence. It was also anticipated that adolescents in the detention sample would evidence lower maturity and competency-related abilities compared to the community sample. Expanding on previous research that has consistently documented an association between age and competence, we hypothesized that psychosocial maturity would partially mediate this relationship. Further, we hypothesized that psychosocial maturity would moderate the direct relations between intellectual ability, psychiatric symptomatology, and competence. In order to test these hypotheses, we utilized a secondary sample from the MacArthur Adjudicative Competence Study that included 927 male and female adolescents ages 11- to 17-years-old recruited from 11 juvenile detention facilities and their surrounding communities. Results demonstrated that age, intellectual ability, and maturity were each directly positively related to competence, and psychiatric symptomatology was negatively related to competence. Further, results provided some support for the hypothesis that maturity partially explains the relationship between age and competence. While the relationship between psychiatric symptomatology and competence did not vary across high and low levels of maturity, results supported the hypothesis that the relationship between intellectual ability and competence varies across high and low levels of psychosocial maturity. Findings suggest that intellectual ability plays an essential role in juveniles’ adjudicative competence and can serve as a protective factor against some aspects of immaturity. Given these findings, it is suggested that youth with deficient intellectual abilities facing the possibility of transfer be automatically referred for evaluations of adjudicative competence. Further, findings suggest that maturity appears to warrant further attention from researchers and clinicians involved in evaluating juveniles’ adjudicative competence. Results are discussed in terms of the legal and clinical implications of developmental immaturity on the prosecution of youthful offenders.