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Objectives

Problems with impulsive behavior are a key feature in substance use disorders. Many studies have examined this relationship, but methods used to measure impulsivity have varied greatly. The present study used a multimethod approach to determine relationships using both laboratory and psychometric measures of impulsivity commonly employed in the behavioral and health sciences.

Methods

Thirty-two adult male subjects participated for 5 days, completing psychometric instruments on day 1 and behavioral tests in counterbalanced order on days 2–5.

Results

Correlations between the behavioral and psychometric measures were uniformly low. Correlations within the psychometric instruments were consistently high. Principal components analysis revealed that the behavioral measures loaded into separate factors of response inhibition tasks and delay of reward tasks. Psychometric measures loaded …