NCJ Number
212342
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 34 Issue: 5 Dated: October 2005 Pages: 427-435
Date Published
October 2005
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study assessed the factor structure and internal reliability of the French version of the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale among teens and assessed gender and age differences related to the factors identified.
Abstract
A total of 628 teens (314 girls and 314 boys) from 3 junior secondary schools in the French-speaking region of Switzerland participated in the study. Their mean age was 15.57 years. Whiteside and Lynam (2001) developed the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale for the purpose of distinguishing four dimensions of impulsivity in adults: urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation-seeking. The current study sought to determine whether these four dimensions also exist in adolescents and whether there are gender differences in impulsivity factors. Exploratory factor analysis of the answers given by the sample indicated that the four-factor scale applied to girls, boys, and the sample of teens as a whole. This suggests that the UPPS Scale reflects a relatively stable personality organization across adolescents and adults as well as gender. It is well-established that impulsivity is a significant factor in psychological distress and conduct disorders during adolescence. In this context, the ability of the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale to distinguish among several aspects of impulsivity should encourage both clinicians and researchers to use it. 5 tables, 35 references, and appended French version of the UPPS Impulsivity Behavior Scale