Impulse-control or impulse and control? Is impulse-control one, two, or more constructs? Development of domain specific impulse-control (DSIC) measure

Impulse control is a well-established predictor of important life outcomes, including health, academic performance, and workplace success. However, traditional measures often conflate distinct psychological processes by failing to distinguish between the urge to act (impulse) and the ability to regulate that urge (control), and by neglecting the contextual specificity of different impulse domains. This dissertation introduces and validates a novel Domain-Specific Impulse-Control (DSIC) measure that differentiates impulse and control across eight behavioral domains: smartphone use, buying, eating, alcohol use, drug use, smoking, sex, and gambling. Across seven diverse samples (N ≈ 2,500), including samples with elevated impulse-control concerns, structural equation modeling was used to test multiple factor structures. The findings supported a bifactor model in which both general and domain-specific factors of impulse and control explained unique variance. Domain-specific DSIC scores showed distinct associations with personality traits, health behaviors, and clinical outcomes. Additionally, developmental analyses across the lifespan revealed that age was equally associated with changes in impulses and controls. These findings advance the conceptualization of impulse control as a multidimensional and context-sensitive construct and offer a foundation for more precise assessment and targeted interventions.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Yoon, Hee Jun Roy

Contributors dc:contributor

• Roberts, Brent W
• Napolitano, Christopher
• Briley, D.A.
• Zhang, Bo
• Hankin, Benjamin

• Impulse Control, Bifactor Model, Personality Development, Factor Analysis, Predictive Analysis

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Hee Jun Yoon

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/132612

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/132612