Differential Neural Correlates Underlying Different Cognitive Control Strategies and their Relationship with the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale

Impulsivity is defined as a rapid unplanned action to a stimulus, where the person does not consider the consequences of their actions (Moeller et al., 2001). Various measurement techniques exist in the study of impulsivity and include self-report, behavioral and physiological measures. This breadth of measurement techniques affords researchers the opportunity to understand what is likely a multifaceted nature of this construct. Previous literature shows mixed results between the relationship of the three measures. The present study seeks to add clarity between the three different modalities of measuring impulsivity. To address this relationship, an undergraduate sample (n = 171) completed three behavioral tasks, AX-CPT, Go/Nogo, and a modified Flanker while physiological data was collected with electroencephalography. The participants also completed the Barratt Impulsiveness scale, a self-report measure. Higher impulsivity was associated with worse accuracy and a smaller N2 for Nogo trials than individuals with lower impulsivity. Higher impulsivity was also associated with worse accuracy for A-Y trials and a reduced amplitude for B-X trials