impulsivo

Impulsivo is an adjective used in Spanish (and Portuguese) to describe a tendency to act on sudden urges without sufficient deliberation. In everyday and academic usage, it characterizes behavior that is spontaneous, unplanned, or driven by immediate desires. It is not by itself a clinical diagnosis.

Impulsivity, the underlying construct, is multidimensional. Researchers distinguish facets such as lack of premeditation, urgency (rash actions under strong emotions), lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking. Impulsivo as a descriptor refers to these tendencies rather than a single act or event.

Assessment and research employ tools such as the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and the UPPS-P model to quantify different aspects of impulsivity. Behavioral tasks may examine response inhibition and delay discounting to complement self-report measures.

Clinically, higher impulsivity is associated with ADHD, substance use disorders, gambling disorder, and certain personality or mood disorders. Distinguishing impulsivity from compulsivity or poor self-control informs diagnosis and treatment planning.

Neurobiological research points to reduced prefrontal control and heightened limbic reactivity during impulsive states, with dopaminergic reinforcement in mesolimbic pathways contributing to reward-driven actions. Developmentally, impulsivity is common in adolescence and often diminishes with age, though it may persist or intensify under stress or psychopathology. In Spanish and Portuguese, impulsivo remains the adjective; in English, the corresponding terms are impulsive or impulsivity.