The concept of impulsivity. Impulsivity - what is it? How to understand that you are an impulsive person? Material on correctional pedagogy on the topic

In life, every person meets people with different characters. Have you ever dealt with a person who struck with his inconstancy? Such people, as a rule, tend to change their minds quite quickly, they are characterized by instant mood swings.

It would seem that just now he was smiling and in a good mood, when suddenly something affects his mood, and aggression and discontent appear. Also, these people amaze with their lightning-fast decisions. What explains this human behavior? In psychology, this is called impulsiveness.

Impulsivity is a feature of the human nature, manifested in the tendency to make decisions without thinking through the consequences. Impulsive people are guided in their behavior not by reason, but by emotions and temporary circumstances.

More often than not, this behavior only leads to negative consequences. This is due to the intemperance, irascibility and harshness that often manifest themselves in such people. In other words, we can say that impulsive actions are actions performed without considering the consequences, without prior reflection.

Some people confuse impulsiveness with decisiveness, this is a very common misconception. However, there is a big difference between these two states. Decisive individuals are firmly confident in their decision or action, and this confidence also extends to the result of their activities.

Impulsive individuals are distinguished by the fact that they first take actions, and then consider the consequences. Such people tend to be disappointed in the end, as a result of which they may experience remorse or further complicate the situation.

Varieties

It is common for every person to sometimes be impulsive, but for some individuals this becomes the norm. Impulsive states have several varieties and may also indicate some psychological diseases:

Pyromania is the desire for arson.
Kleptomania is the desire to steal.
Food impulsivity - manifests itself in various interactions with food.
Gambling is a predisposition to gambling.

This is just a part psychological states when the human mind cannot resist its desires. Impulsive decisions are often the result of poor self-control. Distinctive features of such people are increased activity and explosive character.

These are bad interlocutors: conversation with such people is difficult and often does not have a specific topic, as they tend to quickly switch between different topics. When asking a question, they do not wait for an answer and can talk for a long time, even if they are no longer listening.

Impulsivity also differs in the situations in which it occurs:

Motivated - in this case, it is caused by stressful situations, when even quite adequate people may show unexpected reactions to circumstances. This has happened to everyone, and it does not cause concern.
Unmotivated - when strange and unusual reactions to what is happening become the norm for this person. In this case, the abnormal behavior is not episodic and recurs quite often, leading to some psychological illness.

This condition is possible in both children and adults. However, for children, psychologists do not define this as a diagnosis, since children are not always inclined to think about their decisions and take responsibility for them. But in adults, this is already a deviation from the accepted norms of behavior.

Very often, impulsive behavior can be observed in adolescents. This is understandable: various stresses at such a critical age are more often the cause of unreasonable behavior. It can also be emotional excitement or overwork.

Sometimes teenagers cause such a state artificially, the reason for this is stubbornness and a desire to show independence. Impulsive states in adults are a psychological deviation only if they appear very often and the person himself is not capable of self-control.

Advantages and disadvantages

The impulsive state causes many negative attitude. This is due to the fact that people equate the word "impulsiveness" with such concepts as irritability, insecurity, short temper. Of course, these properties can accompany impulsive manifestations, however given state has its own strengths:

1. Fast decision making. Do not confuse it with determination, but this is the positive side of the impulsive state. Such individuals are prone to rapid adaptation. Usually they are indispensable in situations where circumstances change quickly and you need to make decisions, adapting to them.

2. Intuition. This state also develops intuition. Each of us would be glad to have an intuitive character or to have such a person nearby. Intuition is a very strong side of character that helps us in life.

3. Explicit emotionality. Impulsive states imply a person's openness. Such individuals do not hide their emotions. This can also be attributed to the positive features. The better you understand emotional condition person, the easier it is to develop a relationship with him. An impulsive person will never show hidden intentions.

4. Truthfulness. Perhaps this is the most important positive moment in the impulsive state. Impulsive people rarely lie. Lies are more characteristic of those who have a calm and reasonable character. With heightened emotionality, it is difficult to hide the truth. Any manifestation of deceit is highly undesirable for an impulsive person, since sooner or later emotions will take over and he will express everything.

Impulsive states have a number of advantages, as we have already understood. However, along with this, they are associated with a number of negative aspects. These include common mistakes. When making quick decisions, a person makes rash actions, which often leads to mistakes.

The minus of the impulsive state is that the individual's mood often changes, and you will never understand what controls him in this moment and what to expect in the next moment. And since each individual strives for order and constancy, the emotional person is the cause of discomfort.

This is also manifested in relationships: it is difficult to experience romantic feelings with such people - either he loves and adores you, or he gets angry because of minor misunderstandings. Since it is impossible to predict the behavior of an impulsive person, it is very problematic to adapt to it.

However, being with such a person has its advantages. This is a very adventurous person, and you can be sure that you will always receive support in unexpected decisions. Also, the open emotionality of such a person can help you learn to capture many factors that affect his mood, and in the future use this for your own purposes.

At the same time, one should not unconditionally trust him: impulsive people tend to change their minds often and do not always keep promises. It is worth remembering that an impulsive individual will never act as an aggressor. If you encounter an emotionally aggressive person, then most likely this is a mentally unbalanced person.

Impulsivity cannot be good or bad. This is a state that has both positive and negative aspects. An impulsive person should use his strengths and pay a lot of attention to working on his weaknesses.

Impulsive personality type

The impulsive personality type is characterized by emotional imbalance, impulsiveness, low self-control, and an increased tendency to aggressive outbursts.

Such people often perform actions or deeds without any purpose or intention, they are rather guided by spontaneous desires or whims, which can have serious consequences. For example, a man might be walking down the street and throwing a stone at a window. He explains his act by saying that he just wanted to do it. Also, a person may understand that this should not be done, but feels that “nothing” can be done with himself, thus justifying his behavior. That is, in this case, he actually does not want to do anything with himself, and uses such excuses to shift responsibility to something that is “stronger” than him. For example, a man stole a bag from a woman, and already during the investigation he states that he did not plan to do this, but the bag looked so “successful” that he simply could not restrain himself.

The actions of an impulsive person are very fast (the time between the emergence of a desire and its satisfaction is very short), spontaneous (it arises very unexpectedly and also disappears) and unplanned (the person did not plan to perform it).

In an ordinary person, a whim arises when it corresponds to the basic desires and goals of a person, and thus stimulates him to further action. For example, a woman who loves to dance accidentally saw an ad about a performance by her favorite band. She sharply wanted to get on it, and when she satisfied this whim, she had a desire to more seriously engage in dancing, which was the incentive to enroll in a dance school. This incentive helped excellent results in the classroom. For an impulsive person, a whim remains a whim, it does not stimulate him to achieve great goals and is not "woven" into the structure of his main interests. For example, there was a desire to buy a car, and a person instantly satisfies his ego, and then the purchased purchase is almost all the time in the garage, because it is easier for a person to travel by public transport or taxi.

This is due to the fact that impulsive people have very little interest in others: they do not have good friends and close relationships, work does not give much pleasure, they also think and dream about the future not much, the cultural side of life does not capture or interest. This is the main reason for impulsivity. An ordinary person, when an impulsive whim arises, compares it with the main desires, and if they diverge, he finds the strength in himself to endure the inconvenience of an unsatisfied momentary whim for something more. For example, if a person wants a car at a given moment, but at the same time he has an even greater desire to build a house, he will think that at the moment he can use this money to satisfy his dream (invest in construction), and he will travel by public transport . And for him this is not a problem, because he is focused on a more global goal. An impulsive person, due to the lack of such goals, cannot endure inconvenience and therefore all the time goes on about his momentary whims.

The positive side of this type is a certain spontaneity, which can generate new and original ideas, which cannot always be achieved only with the help of intellect.

An impulsive person is not used to critically analyzing events. If the decision-making scheme of an ordinary person is as follows: impression - analysis of information - comparison different options, the choice of the best is action, then for impulsive it is as follows: impression - action.

Such a person sees in the environment only what impressed and captured him, but at the same time does not notice the negative aspects of these things. He very easily copes with real problems and tasks, but regarding his future he can be helpless. For such people, what is happening at the moment comes to the fore, they do not look into the future, they do not compare current actions with results. For example, ordinary people, before getting married, meet for a while, study each other, and only then decide on a serious step. But impulsive people can, at the first meeting, be so carried away by another that after a few days they run to the registry office, and then, not being ready for family life, after a short time, apply for a job. h water.

An impulsive person is a person who can be creative, make decisions quickly, but often these decisions are not objective and not thought out.

Impulsivity psychology trait

It's no secret that a woman is a very emotional being. She rarely thinks with reason, her emotions pour over the edge. And only later can she think about what she did and what she said. But it may be a later realization of a fait accompli. How to be a woman with her impulsive and emotional character.

Impulsivity is a psychology trait. Impulsivity as a character trait lies in the fact that a woman always knows the answer to any question (even if it is wrong). Only problems arise on the way, the woman immediately goes into the category of a counterattack and begins her "combat" actions. Although in his right mind he understands that it is impossible to do this and that more reasonable decisions must be applied, but he cannot do anything with himself.

And how easy it is to draw conclusions in a hurry, without thinking about the results of these conclusions. True, when the emotions subsided and the mind turned on. The woman understands her reckless step. But it is very difficult to turn back time and correct the mistake. How to learn to treat situations correctly, not to solve everything at once and with a hot head.

An impulsive woman is much like a small, unintelligent child. She is like an unintelligent child, she only follows own emotions and fleeting impulses to action. In this case, most often he does not realize what he has done, neither in what he says, nor in what he does.

But still, there are positive features in impulsivity:

resentment does not mean vindictiveness and vindictiveness;

bad mood lasts quite a bit of time;

decision making takes place in minutes;

all questions are always answered;

actually assumes all responsibility;

all the problems that arise, clicks like nuts.

Few have these qualities. But, unfortunately, such manners of a high-speed car are not always brought to good. She gives a lot of trouble not so much to others as to herself. The consequences of deeds and words do not always go unpunished, because in most cases they are offensive and contrary to the general set of rules.

In order not to disturb the peace in the environment. You have to learn how to slow down when cornering. Before. Before you say something or make some important decision, you need to count to 10 and back, and only then open your beautiful mouth to express the next decision.

If a woman cannot stop herself, she will need the help of others. You have to negotiate with family and friends. To help them control their emotions with certain conditioned signals. Which they will serve at that moment. When a woman starts to “chop off her shoulder” again. It can be different signs from the word "stop" to clapping your hands. Stopping, a woman will be able to evaluate her words and deeds.

Curbing your own impulsiveness and emotionality is very difficult. It will not be possible to solve this difficult task immediately. Close women and others are most likely aware of this character trait and try to treat her loyally to what has been said and done. But unfamiliar people may be afraid of this inappropriate behavior, and this can simply lead them into a stupor. An impulsive person should immediately report his character trait to others and unfamiliar people so as not to harm himself. And learn to apologize for what you did during the "fever".

And most importantly, we must remember that it is possible to correct what has been done. Just need to find the right words. For example, you made a rash decision, the next day or after some time, you can refer to the thoughtlessness of the decision and make another more reasonable one and weigh all the pros and cons.

Constant work on yourself will lead to positive results.

Strengths of an impulsive person and work on mistakes

Greetings, my dear readers! Have you ever met such people who change their minds very quickly, easily move from joy to anger, and their smile is instantly replaced by a grin? What does an impulsive person mean, what are his strengths and weak sides And what is the best way to connect with such a person? Today I will answer all these questions and tell you what to do if you suffer from your impulsiveness.

pros

Most often, if you are told “he is an impulsive person,” then you will initially treat him with a slight tinge of negativity. Why is this happening?

Because impulsiveness is more associated with negative evaluation: unreliability, ambiguity, short temper, irritability, and so on. But we will talk about the disadvantages later. Let's try to understand the strengths of an impulsive person.

Impulsive nature allows a person to make decisions quickly. After all, most often such people quickly react to external circumstances. Thus, we get a person who will perfectly adapt to a rapidly changing environment.

Quick decision-making, in turn, develops intuition, which greatly helps in life. Agree, a person with more developed intuition more likely to succeed. What skill can be compared to intuition? Probably none.

You will immediately know what emotion an impulsive person is experiencing. Have you met such people, on whose face nothing is written and it is absolutely impossible to understand what they are feeling right now? With an impulsive person, this cannot happen.

If he is angry, then you will understand this very well. And the better you understand other people's emotions, the easier it is for you to communicate with a person. Therefore, when such a person is angry, then you can simply not approach him at that moment. And wait until he comes to a calm and balanced state.

An impulsive person is a bad liar. To lie well, you must have composure, calmness. An emotional person will definitely miss and not bring the lie to the end. Therefore, most often such people do not even resort to lies. Suspicious manipulations will be clearly visible in their behavior.

Minuses

However, for all their strengths, impulsive people also have a number of problems. Making impulsive actions, a person can make a mistake because he thought badly, did not consider all the options. possible consequences. Making a quick decision definitely helps, but not in all situations.

Such people are dangerous with their lightning-fast mood swings and it is not always clear who is the cause of anger or sadness. A person subconsciously strives for order, constancy. Therefore, communication with such emotional people can be annoying and infuriating.

Emotional people really often fail. You agreed on a meeting, prepared everything for it, spent time, effort, and maybe money. But the man did not come, simply because he changed his mind. Unreliability is perhaps the strongest minus of an impulsive person.

With such a person it is very problematic to be in romantic relationship. Today he is madly in love, and tomorrow he is angry at a trifle, after a couple of hours he is offended, and a second later he kisses him tightly.

It is simply impossible to predict the behavior of such a person. And this, again, does not fit into the human desire for consistency and constancy.

If you are such a person and this bothers you, then do not despair. Everything can be changed, changed and become more calm. If emotions are getting in the way of your life, then be sure to read the article "How to Become Emotionally Resilient".

Don't believe you can change yourself? Then I have another article for you: "How to change yourself and your character."

How to deal with an impulsive person

Understanding an impulsive person is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. There are things that piss him off, there are those that bring joy and happiness. And since he does not hide his emotions, an observant person will quickly understand what is definitely not worth doing or saying.

In communication with emotional person there are some advantages. For example, such people are more likely to agree to adventurous offers, they are more willing to commit trip around the world or go with you to the mountains. But they can easily abandon the idea at the last moment.

You should not place great hopes on the promise of such people. Their mood will change, they may change their mind. Therefore, it is worth listening, but not trusting completely. After all, with them it all depends on the mood and emotional state.

But an impulsive person rarely acts as an aggressor, unlike, for example, a mentally unbalanced one. If you come across the second option and you absolutely do not understand how to interact with it, then the article “Who is a mentally unbalanced person” will come in handy. It is necessary to communicate with such a person with special care.

Impulsivity is neither good nor bad. It has both positive and negative points.

If you are an impulsive person, then you have the opportunity to use your strengths, but do not forget to work on your weaknesses.

Are you quick to make decisions? What can piss you off and how quickly will it happen? Do you forgive easily? Do you consider yourself an emotional person?

An impulsive person is.

An impulsive person - who is he?

Impulsivity (lat. impulses - push, motivation) - a feature of human behavior (in stable forms - a character trait), consisting in a tendency to act on the first impulse, under the influence of external circumstances or emotions. An impulsive person does not think about his actions, does not weigh all the pros and cons, he reacts quickly and directly and often just as quickly repents of his actions. From I. should be distinguished decisiveness, which also involves a quick and energetic reaction, but is associated with thinking about the situation and making the most appropriate and reasonable decisions.

Impulsivity is a character trait, a tendency to act without sufficient conscious control, under the influence of external circumstances or due to emotional experiences. As an age feature of I., it manifests itself mainly in children of preschool and younger school age, which is due to the insufficient formation of the function of control over Behavior. At normal development this form of I. is corrected quite optimally in the joint games of children, in which the implementation of role-playing rules requires restraining one's immediate motives and taking into account the interests of others. playing, as well as a little later - in learning activities. Upon reaching adolescence I. can again manifest itself as an age-related feature, already associated with an increase in emotional excitability. I. contributes to the spontaneous emergence of conflicts with others in situations that are objectively not conflictogenic. For I.'s diagnosis use special tests and questionnaires, for example. J. Kagan's test and I. Eysenck's questionnaire.

Impulsivity is a painful form of behavior in which the patient's actions are performed in connection with irresistible urges, impulses, proceed violently, automatically, and are not controlled by consciousness.

impulsiveness

Brief explanatory psychological and psychiatric dictionary. Ed. igisheva. 2008 .

Vocabulary practical psychologist. - M.: AST, Harvest. S. Yu. Golovin. 1998 .

Psychological dictionary. THEM. Kondakov. 2000 .

Large psychological dictionary. - M.: Prime-EVROZNAK. Ed. B.G. Meshcheryakova, acad. V.P. Zinchenko. 2003 .

Popular psychological encyclopedia. - M.: Eksmo. S.S. Stepanov. 2005 .

See what "impulsivity" is in other dictionaries:

Impulsivity is a character trait expressed in a tendency to act without sufficient conscious control, under the influence of external circumstances or due to emotional experiences. As an age-related feature, impulsivity manifests itself predominantly ... Psychological Dictionary

impulsiveness - impulsiveness, nervousness, harshness, involuntariness Dictionary of Russian synonyms. impulsiveness noun, number of synonyms: 5 explosive character (1) ... Synonym dictionary

IMPULSITY - IMPULSITY, impulsivity, pl. no, female (book). distraction noun to impulsive. Dictionary Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

impulsiveness - IMPULSIVE, oh, oh; veins, vna (book). Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ozhegov

IMPULSITY - (from lat. im.pu.l sivus prompted) eng. impulsivity; German Impulsive. A character trait that manifests itself in restraint, a tendency to act on the first impulse. I. may be the result of a lack of self-control, age features and ... ... Encyclopedia of Sociology

Impulsivity - (lat. - push) - a moral ethical quality of a person, manifested as a tendency to act under the influence of the first impulse (impulse), spontaneously, suddenly, unmotivated and uncontrollable. Impulsivity also manifests itself as ... ... Fundamentals of spiritual culture (teacher's encyclopedic dictionary)

IMPULSITY - See reflexivity impulsivity ... Explanatory Dictionary of Psychology

impulsiveness - impulsyvumas statusas T sritis Kūno kultūra ir sportas apibrėžtis kilme plg. impulsas atitikmenys: engl. impulsiveness vok. Impulsivität, f rus.… … Sporto terminų žodynas

impulsiveness - impulsyvumas statusas T sritis Kūno kultūra ir sportas apibrėžtis Polinkis veikti iš karto, po pirmos paskatos (impulso), nesvarstant, negalvojant. Impulsyvumu pasizymi cholerikai. kilme plg. impulsas atitikmenys: engl. impulsiveness vok.… … Sporto terminų žodynas

impulsiveness - a form of behavior caused by illness, personality traits or the current situation, in which actions, deeds arise in connection with irresistible urges, urges and proceed violently without top level control ... ... Big Medical Dictionary

Impulsivity - what is it? How to understand that you are an impulsive person?

We are all different people: some take it for granted and comfortable to weigh each life step repeatedly, others are able to make serious, life-defining decisions on the fly. In a wide range of bright human features character, impulsiveness stands out - this is the attraction of a particular person to quick and thoughtless actions, when only their own motives, emotions, circumstances and people nearby are taken as the basis.

Surely everyone in their own environment has met such a person: he does not think about his actions, speech, decisions, instantly reacts to the circumstances and actions of other people, but this haste often makes him repent of his own behavior. Impulsivity is typical for children - preschoolers or children of primary school age cannot yet give an adequate assessment of their actions, and therefore do not bother much about their reflection. For adolescents, impulsivity can be a consequence of increased emotional and hormonal excitability. The impulsivity of adults is manifested in neurosis, overwork, a state of passion and in some diseases.

Impulsivity is action on the first impulse based on emotions.

Impulsivity is different and, depending on the degree of manifestation, it can cause slight inconvenience to its owner or become a real problem in his life and environment. Impulsive behavior ranges from mild dissatisfaction, quick decisions and a quick return of self-control to painful impulsive manifestations:

kleptomania (craving to steal);
gambling addiction (attraction to gambling);
fetishism and other manifestations of impulsive sexual behavior;
anorexia or, conversely, overeating, etc.

impulsive person

Weigh all the pros and cons? - No, this is not about an impulsive person. And he is not subject to even a fleeting reflection on his actions, and it is this factor that distinguishes impulsive personality from a determined personality. In both cases, there is a quick and energetic reaction, but for impulsive people it is more likely with a minus sign than a plus - just as quickly as they do, they repent of their rash and inappropriate actions.

How to understand that you are an impulsive person? There are several signs that determine the manifestations and tendency to impulsivity:

things and people that were previously invisible in the environment begin to annoy;
emerging neurosis, stress, inability to cope with their own excited psychological state;
“Start up with half a turn” is now not a problem at all;
mood swings - from melancholy to unreasonable aggression;
after the successful manifestation of a rash act or actions caused by impulsivity, a person feels satisfied.

Impulsivity rarely occurs on its own - it always has a reason

Psychologists note the manifestation of impulsivity as a sign of unresolved problems in childhood. Too strict parents, prohibitions, the demand from an active child for restraint and calmness will later develop into a discrepancy between the externally educated and the internal natural, and have every chance of turning into a spiritual discord for a person rich in emotions.

If impulsivity begins to create serious problems that a person cannot cope with on their own, it is recommended to apply for specialized care. Psychologists and psychotherapists will be able to professionally assess the patient's condition, and questionnaires and tests will specify the problem. Impulsiveness that subjugates a person must certainly be fought: this will align relations with others and improve the quality of a person’s life. For serious problems and in accordance with the causes of impulsiveness medical specialists individual will be recommended (under personality traits patient) method of treatment.

Female impulsiveness

If you look at gender, then women are generally much more impulsive and this is understandable: emotional, without sufficient conscious control, they are driven by their own motives without logical planning for consequences. This does not apply to every girl or woman: some sensible ladies, when buying a fiftieth blouse, try on another twenty, and, for example, their own baby in a stroller adds a sense of responsibility to a woman, forcing mommy to work on herself.

Women's impulsiveness is short-lived, it is difficult to get rid of it completely, but you can learn to control it.

Women are more emotional beings than men, and therefore more susceptible to the psycho-emotional state, which is impulsiveness. For women, and for any other person, impulsivity can create considerable problems at work, in close relationships, in raising children - negative impulsivity requires you to “let off steam”, and therefore it is recommended that an impulsive person (regardless of gender) understand himself, understand the reasons the emergence of this state and learn to master it.

How to get rid of impulsivity?

If you do not pay attention to the first signs of impulsiveness in time, it will quickly develop into a persistent character trait and become a stumbling block in relations with other people - because they are not interested in the reasons, they see only their unpleasant manifestation. What to do with impulsivity and how to get rid of it? We offer simple methods:

Relieve nervous tension and fight stress: meditation, yoga, SPA treatments and massage, pleasant hobbies, sports and swimming, even shopping - everything that will return the emotional state to its previous course and will not allow the genie of impulsiveness to break out.
It is recommended to set specific achievable goals for deadlines: do you need repairs in your apartment, but there is no money? - repair the apartment gradually; no time to go with the child to the water park? - a walk in the nearest park on skis will be a good alternative; "Got" relatives and friends? - turn off your phone after 21:00 and enjoy a nice movie or book.

3. Impulsivity can manifest itself due to a banal lack of time: endless requests from relatives, demands from superiors, children demanding attention - where can you find the necessary time for all this? And now even an efficient woman turns into a twitchy monkey, who has no time even to look at herself in the mirror. When is it time to sit down and calmly think about pressing matters? In this case, healthy selfishness will help:

relatives can be calmly explained that they themselves are able to choose a new dog leash in the store;
you can’t argue much with the authorities, but an adequate superior person will listen to healthy arguments and take note;
you can’t push children aside, but for them there will surely be interesting activity, capable of occupying children's brains and hands for at least a couple of hours.

4. Love relationships and impulsiveness are to some extent peacefully coexisting concepts exactly until the moment when the latter develops into irascibility and hysteria. Psychologists in such cases recommend starting from the root causes (lack of attention and sex, fear of losing such loved one etc.) and talk to your partner about problems in the relationship.

Men are emotionally thick-skinned, and what a woman sees as a hurricane overhead, for them is just a small black cloud far, far above the horizon.

5. Find the causative agent of the problem that causes this condition: it certainly exists, and when it is eliminated emotional background will become calmer and more balanced, and the rationality of thought and action will not be long in coming.

In any case, it should be remembered: impulsivity is not a disease with a critical diagnosis, but an emotional and mental condition personality, which under the influence of circumstances and environment can arise in everyone. Impulsivity, depending on the situation, becomes a defense or turns into an attack and aggression. It suddenly appears, and just as suddenly leaves. She is easily provoked, but subject to control in the case of working on her own behavior.

impulsive nature

The description is given according to the book by Norakidze V.G. Ttpy character and fixed installation

PERSONALITY CHARACTER WITH VARIABLE INSTALLATION (impulsive character)

As a result of characterological research, types of character were established that differ sharply from harmonious, integral and conflict characters. The main feature of these latter: dominance over the impulses of one's own needs, regulation of internal conflicts by the activity of the will and direction social behavior in accordance with the requirements of the environment. And the conflict personality itself, based on the strong activity of the second level mental life remains a self-controlled, organized, social being. But there were also such people whose essential property is weakness of will, strong impulsiveness and, as a result, unrestrained internal and external conflicts. Such people can be attributed to the type of impulsive nature. Among people of an impulsive nature, there are two sharply different types:

one). Impulsive-expansive with strong needs and

2) impulsively-labile with weak needs.

The attitude of an impulsive-expansive person is variable-stable, i.e., this personality is not inherent in the attitude of any one type, in different time it has settings of various types (for example, plastic-dynamic, roughly dynamic, static, etc.), but once developed, the installation is stable over time - it is stable. Of the factors - subjective and objective, necessary to develop an attitude in a person of this type, the subjective factor - need - has an advantage. The engine of his behavior is always an attitude created under the priority of a strong need. We are dealing with the opposite situation in the case of impulsively labile people. The attitude of the personality is also variable here, but unstable in time, quickly fading away, i.e. labile. The behavior of the individual proceeds in the external environment on the basis of an attitude fixed with the advantage of the situation. This is a person whose activity is determined by the external situation and is devoid of an internal guiding force. The named features of his installation determine the property of his character.

a) The character of an impulsive personality with a variable-stable attitude.

A person with a variable-stable attitude is a person of strong aspirations, active, looking for manifestations of activity in all circumstances of life. His life, activity, experiences are controlled by the impulse of intense needs, interests. Such strong impulses seek satisfaction. On the basis of a need and an imaginary situation, readiness for appropriate behavior is easily created, but objective conditions rarely make it possible to immediately identify impulsive behavior in the form of activity. A person, being a rational person, does not commit senseless actions. Here, the function of the will certainly manifests itself, but it is so weak that it fails to slow down impulsive actions. In this struggle, the will is helped by the unsuitable situation for the realization of such readiness and the impulse to preserve life; therefore it is possible that we are not dealing here with the true human will. The tendency of impulsive action searches uncontrollably for a way out, and the absence of it turns the personality into an arena of conflicts. In the end, the impulsiveness of the personality is nevertheless realized, carried out in some kind of eccentric act.

In such a personality, in excess, in comparison with volitional behavior, tendencies of impulsive behavior are given. This does not mean that her will is subject to a different pattern. The will is here again characterized by the stages described in the general psychology of the ordinary will. And we only emphasize the essential typical features. The will of this type of person is weak. At critical moments of life, she fails as a successful accomplishment of a negative task - inhibition of impulses, the ability to hide internal conflicts, internal excitement, and sometimes an inexpedient eccentric act. This hinders the possibility of positive work of the will. In such a person, it is not the will that essentially serves certain aspirations, but impulsive behavior arising from the attitude created on the basis of the actual situation. The will acts as an auxiliary function, introducing into the behavior that stubbornly proceeds against the background of consciousness, only doubts, conflicts, hesitation.

The excess of impulsive behavior especially you is at critical moments in life. In general, throughout the life of an individual, one often has to rely on the will. In cases where the "goal" of impulses and will coincide, the decision is made very quickly and firmly, the action proceeds energetically and inexorably. However, when the will has to perform its specific function, i.e., when the action has to be directed against the desire, reflections, doubts, inner hesitation begin; to make a decision in this case, the help of an outsider is also necessary. Behavior after a volitional decision, despite the variety of emotional background, is adamant. It is difficult for a person to switch, as a result of which volitional action in most cases turns into to stubbornness. Preliminary planning of future behavior is not typical for a person, as a result of which volitional action proceeds basically like an impulsive one. There is an excess of willingness to serve in the personality lofty goals. Her social purposefulness often becomes a motive for behavior, but these goals are still not volitional. The personality has no tendency to activate the needs and attitudes that are the basis of volitional behavior. A person probably has the corresponding needs, interests, worldview, therefore, as if nothing should prevent her from activating these fixed properties and deploying action in a volitional plan. For example, when the question is raised about the need to sacrifice oneself for the sake of one's neighbor, nothing should prevent a person of altruistic goals from acting according to the decision made on the basis of motivation. However, the person we have described does not fight for the achievement of these goals on the basis of a special decision, but acts impulsively. When such a person faces the question of helping a person, of self-sacrifice for the sake of the motherland, etc., the appropriate step in this direction is not preceded by acts of choice of motivation, decisions and planning of future behavior. The personality begins the corresponding action in addition to the indicated stages of the will. Fixed readinesses are revealed in the acts of the corresponding action immediately, apart from being mediated by objectification. One gets the impression that her behavior is controlled by immediate impulses rather than by will.

Her moral behavior is reminiscent of a maternal act determined by a noble "instinct". A mother, seeing her child in a room on fire, rushes to save him without hesitation. Its action is due not to the will, but to the impulse of need. In the case when the impulses of the personality and its subjective tendencies completely coincide with the objective goal, it shows amazing energy, the ability of inexhaustible care and work. She can show amazing courage and self-sacrifice, a way to immediately, without hesitation, rush into the fire for the sake of lofty goals, endanger the future of her whole life for the rehabilitation of an offended, offended person.

AT social situation this behavior is not always appropriate. Each sphere of public life has its own objective goals. A person who is ready for high goals must be able to serve these goals, he must take into account objectively existing goals, and this is possible only on the basis of the activation of conscious will. The person in question has a poorly developed sense of reality and fails to act in accordance with objective goals when conscious and planned behavior is required of her. The strength of the impulse of need compels such a person to immediately begin an action corresponding to objective goals; it often proceeds very expediently and achieves great effect, but there are times when it fails. The stubbornness characteristic of the personality, the difficulty of switching often serve as the reason for its inappropriate actions, which subsequently lead to regrets. Thus, instead of establishing complete unity between the objective goals and aspirations of the personality, both internal and external conflicts are born in it. This is facilitated by the fact that the tendencies of her impulsiveness tend to subjectivize objective goals. She often tries to transfer peculiar subjective strivings to objective ones, which can be harmful for the latter.

So, the aspirations of the individual, called upon to serve goals from the side of ethics, sometimes of great value, due to weak will and subjective tendencies intruding into it, often do not reach the goal. As a result, a person develops feelings of insecurity in his own abilities, doubts, anger, contempt, and a whole range of affective-aggressive tendencies directed against those who stand in the way of his many obsessive aspirations.

In such a person, the feeling of love is characterized by exceptional intensity and a peculiar depth. She loves quite sincerely. The feeling of sympathy for others is an indicator of sincere sympathy, experiencing other people's sorrows and happiness as one's own. Pity, compassion are the main properties of her emotions, but she is not able to show such sympathy to all those close to her. Although the circle of objects of her sympathy is very extensive, next to it is a group of people whom she treats with distrust, may dislike, hate, revealing hatred, contempt, enmity. In relation to the enemy, she is full of envy and contempt. She always has poisonous sarcasm ready for the enemy, a mockery that destroys the poisonous word. She does not forget the insult and is looking for an opportunity to take revenge, for years she remembers every word that was insulting to her. Such an attitude towards others will become quite understandable if we remember that an essential feature of such a personality is a pronounced "subjectivism", when everything is evaluated in accordance with one's own needs. Accumulated with excess unfulfilled needs are characterized by excessive activity. Due to a number of subjective and objective conditions, they tend to emerge outward in the appropriate situation. Personality in this respect is very extroverted. She is ready to give her whole subjective world to the objective one. However, such a manifestation of the inner nature is very subjective. Personality only then takes into account the objective if it corresponds to its interests.

The overwhelming majority of artistic characters of romantics, mystics and de cadents are a gallery of portraits of people with variable attitudes. The variety of behavior of these people, the romantic mental structure, complete, as it were, unsolved mystery, strange behavior, a restless, eccentric struggle to achieve conscious and unconscious drives, the often tragic finale of striving for a goal attracted romantics - the banner-bearers of individualism and subjectivism in literature. Types of expansive personalities were generously used by romantics as material for creating artistic characters.

The great realists - Shakespeare, Flaubert, Tolstoy, in order to embody their aesthetic ideal in artistic characters, use such psychological type as a prototype. The power of a woman that dominates a man, gifted with boundless passion and beauty of the body, the power of a woman who combines the “features of Eve and the snake” and which can cloud the mind of even a very strong man and throw him into the abyss, is described by Shakespeare. As a prototype, he used Cleopatra - a beautiful woman, endowed with a rebellious soul, full of inextinguishable passions, capricious, eccentric, energetic, expansive, always under the pressure of internal conflicts, changeable in relationships with people.

If Cleopatra has all the means to satisfy her whims, Madame Bovary, personified by Flaubert, brought up in a bourgeois-philistine environment, has nothing to satisfy her aspirations, except for dreams and secret, humiliating love. The life drama of Madame Bovary lies in the complete discrepancy between her aspirations and dreams, on the one hand, and the reality in which she has to live, on the other. To describe the tragedy of a person who carries such internal contradictions in himself, Flaubert used the psychological type of an impressionable, sensitive person, with strong passions, but with a weak will, moreover, impulsive and expansive. Characterologically, Anna Karenina, the character of Leo Tolstoy, stands on the same plane, although she expresses a completely different moral idea than Shakespeare's Cleopatra and Flaubert's Madame Bovary. Anna Karenina, a deeply passionate, expansive and impulsive woman, violates the traditional norms of morality, but not finding an environment that matches her aspirations and her own restless, rebellious nature, ends her life tragically,

In such a person, adaptation to the external environment causes internal conflicts. In relation to a person acceptable from the point of view of her moral or vital needs, she is full of excessive sympathy, trust, respect, experiences excessive delight, admiration and even idolizes him. She treats those who block her path critically, she harbors hatred for his active impulsive action; such a person, an object in her eyes loses its value. Therefore, she is often in conflict with others. Many praise her, but many scold her. According to some, this is a direct, truthful, disinterested, telling the truth in person, strong-willed, likeable person, according to others, an unceremonious, upstart, envious, embittered poseur. Our society puts such impulsive persons in quite certain limits. Society binds his impulsiveness, and he often remains with unsatisfied aspirations and with accumulated unrealized forces. Such a person knows his own weakness and seeks the protection of a strong, harmonious person. Under the leadership of the strong authoritative person who can understand her and accordingly direct her forces and positive aspirations, such a person is able to provide society with invaluable services, despite the fact that her activity is always accompanied by internal unrest and conflicts with others. If immoral tendencies are first instilled in her, her impulses will unfold without delay in the form of immoral impulsive actions. In some of the personalities we studied, we observed certain immoral tendencies that were established in them even in childhood, they were unable to fight them. In general, it can be shown that, depending on the nature of the impulses of need, interests, worldview, such an impulsive person can form both a personality of high aspirations and low morality, almost an intruder.

From everything that has been said about the structure of such a person, we conclude that the structure of his character is in conflict. However, the conflicts here are essentially due not to a sharp contradiction between aspirations turned into a property and volitional goals, but the difficulty of realizing his strong and diverse aspirations, caused by the personality's tendency to impulsive actions. The conflicts here do not express the tendencies of the destruction of the structure of the character of the personality, on the contrary, the conflict is the result of the tendency to establish internal integrity.

Such a person wants to live full life to live through everything, to penetrate into all the convolutions of life, to unfold in the turbulent course of life one's restless, highly moral aspirations, to satisfy the multitude of lofty moral tendencies that have turned into impulses. On the basis of impulsive behavior, such aspirations often remain unfulfilled, inner life personality becomes an arena of anxieties and anxiety arising from unfulfilled needs. These emotions take possession of the whole personality and for a long time cause its unpleasant objective states.

In a person who is the bearer of high ethical inclinations and positive social forces in general, there is a strong desire to realize these forces. However, due to incompatibility with existing external environment impulsive nature of the personality and the weakness of some personality forces, its basic readiness often remains unfulfilled, but this never causes a weakening of activity. It is this trend that should explain the fact that such individuals, despite frequent internal and external conflicts, burdened by unfulfilled desires, rarely fall into neurotic states and constantly full of creative energy. But the simultaneous tendency, on the one hand, to realize, and on the other hand, to stifle one's aspirations, becomes a source of internal conflicts that grow out of the deep foundations of the character of these individuals. Nevertheless, the tendency to carry out impulses operates in them with indomitable force - they are unswerving and indefatigable in this striving and often show great strength and persistence of their impulses. However, the main drawback of these individuals is their weak will, and this circumstance deprives them of the possibility of realizing their tendencies.

Erofeevskaya Natalya

We are all different people: some take it for granted and comfortable to weigh each life step repeatedly, others are able to make serious, life-defining decisions on the fly. In a wide range of bright human character traits, impulsivity stands out - this is the attraction of a particular person to quick and thoughtless actions, when only their own motives, emotions, circumstances and people nearby are taken as the basis.

kleptomania (craving to steal);
gambling addiction (attraction to gambling);
fetishism and other manifestations of impulsive sexual behavior;
anorexia or, conversely, overeating, etc.

impulsive person

Weigh all the pros and cons? - No, this is not about an impulsive person. And even a fleeting reflection on his actions is beyond his control, and it is this factor that distinguishes an impulsive person from a decisive person. In both cases, there is a quick and energetic reaction, but for impulsive people it is more likely with a minus sign than a plus - just as quickly as they do, they repent of their rash and inappropriate actions.

How to understand that you are an impulsive person? There are several signs that determine the manifestations and tendency to impulsivity:

things and people that were previously invisible in the environment begin to annoy;
emerging neurosis, stress, inability to cope with their own excited psychological state;
“Start up with half a turn” is now not a problem at all;
- from melancholy to unreasonable aggression;
after the successful manifestation of a rash act or actions caused by impulsivity, a person feels satisfied.

If impulsivity begins to create serious problems that a person cannot cope with on his own, it is recommended to seek specialized help. Psychologists and psychotherapists will be able to professionally assess the patient's condition, and questionnaires and tests will specify the problem. Impulsiveness that subjugates a person must certainly be fought: this will align relations with others and improve the quality of a person’s life. In case of serious problems and in accordance with the reasons that caused impulsivity, medical specialists will recommend an individual (according to the patient's personal characteristics) method of treatment.

Female impulsiveness

Women are more emotional beings than men, and therefore more susceptible to the psycho-emotional state, which is impulsiveness. For women, and for any other person, impulsivity can create considerable problems at work, in close relationships, in raising children - negative impulsivity requires "letting off steam", and therefore an impulsive person (regardless of gender) is recommended to understand himself, understand the reasons the emergence of this state and learn to master it.

How to get rid of impulsivity?

Relieve nervous tension and fight stress: meditation, SPA treatments and massage, pleasant hobbies, sports and swimming, even shopping - everything that will return the emotional state to its previous course and will not allow the genie of impulsiveness to break out.
It is recommended to set specific achievable goals for deadlines: do you need repairs in your apartment, but there is no money? - repair the apartment gradually; no time to go with the child to the water park? - a walk in the nearest park on skis will be a good alternative; "Got" relatives and friends? - Turn off your phone after 21:00 and enjoy a book.

relatives can be calmly explained that they themselves are able to choose a new dog leash in the store;
you can’t argue much with the authorities, but an adequate superior person will listen to healthy arguments and take note;
you can’t push children aside, but for them there will certainly be an interesting activity that can occupy children’s brains and hands for at least a couple of hours.

4. and impulsiveness - concepts to some extent peacefully coexist exactly until the moment when the latter develops into irascibility and hysteria. Psychologists in such cases recommend starting from the root causes (lack of attention and sex, fear of losing such a loved one, etc.) and talking with a partner about problems in a relationship.

5. Find the causative agent of the problem that causes this state: it certainly exists, and when it is eliminated, the emotional background will become calmer and more balanced, and the rationality of thought and action will not be long in coming.

In any case, it should be remembered: impulsivity is not a disease with a critical diagnosis, but an emotional and mental state of a person, which, under the influence of circumstances and environment, can occur in everyone. Impulsivity, depending on the situation, becomes a defense or turns into an attack and aggression. It suddenly appears, and just as suddenly leaves. She is easily provoked, but subject to control in the case of working on her own behavior.

March 25, 2014

Impulsivity is the ability to make quick and spontaneous decisions without taking into account negative consequences. This character trait is the result of self-confident categoricalness and impatience. An impulsive person is guided more often by feelings and emotions than by reason. This set of qualities gives rise to unconscious faux pas and rudeness, harshness and irascibility.

Such behavior complicates the relationship of the individual with the people around him - relatives, friends, work colleagues. An impulsive person can, due to excessive emotional outburst burn too much of their own psychophysical energy, after which they experience weakness and fatigue.

Such a feature of character is possessed by people who are energetic, explosive. They say about them that they first do and then think. An impulsive person is usually a bad conversationalist. Having asked, he does not listen to the answer. His thoughts jump from one object to another. He can be overly talkative, while he cares little whether the interlocutor is listening or not.

A classic example of such an impulsive character is the hero of Gogol's poem Dead Souls, the landowner Nozdryov. This one never thought about his actions. And if some thought flashed in his brain, he immediately began to act, not at all in accordance with human logic. He often became the initiator of fights and conflicts, he could lose to the nines, he never drew the right conclusions from his actions.

More often, unmotivated impulsiveness is possessed by children and adolescents. Most of them with age acquire the ability to analyze their actions, to the logic of actions. But some retain a tendency to such behavior for life. An impulsive person is often eccentric, that is, prone to strange, unusual behavior.

The impulsiveness of actions can be triggered by stress or some non-standard situation. It is under the influence of such events that an impulsive reaction can flare up even in people who are quite adequate and reasonable in a calm and familiar environment. It is not uncommon for situations where nervous tension accumulates over a long time, fueled by jealousy, anger, longing, envy and other circumstances, in order to one fine day splash out with an outbreak of impulsive actions. Under the influence of the latter, crimes are committed, while the perpetrator himself is not always able to explain why he committed this act.

But if this kind of reaction is of a random one-time nature, then impulsive behavior is the norm for such an individual. This behavior is more often the result of emotional and mental instability, the lack of adequate reactions, which has managed to turn into a familiar form. Impulsiveness and inadequacy of actions can be affected by the state of intoxication. Often, impulsive actions are committed due to the desire of the individual to assert himself, ensuring his superiority over others, or simply because of the desire to throw out the accumulated negative emotions.

Sometimes it happens when we describe the character of a person, we use the word “impulsive”. But the question arises as to whether we know the true meaning, whether we understand what impulsivity is.

First of all, it should be noted that this personal quality forces a person, even if unconsciously for himself, to take actions that are not subjected to preliminary long deliberation, weighing all the pros and cons. Unfortunately, under the influence of impulsiveness, momentary emotions, a person can make a fateful decision.

Impulsivity in psychology implies a feature in a person's behavior, which consists in his inherent tendency to make decisions, act on the first impulse, under the influence of circumstances or emotions. An impulsive individual is not inclined to think about his actions, but immediately reacts to them and subsequently often repents of what he has done. The reason for its appearance in adolescents is as a consequence of increased emotional excitability. And in adults, impulsivity can manifest itself with overwork, certain diseases and affect (that is, with a strong, but short-term, emotional experience which is usually accompanied by relatively sharp internal and motor mental manifestations of the personality).

Impulsivity is a kind of antonym to the concept of "reflexivity". Reflexivity - impulsivity is a hypothetical definition of a measurement of a person's cognitive style. It is based on the observation that it was concluded that when solving problems, people can be divided into two types. The first type tends to react quickly, taking into account the first thing that comes to mind (impulsiveness), while the second type tends to be more systematic, that is, they carefully consider the problem before taking any action.

As a rule, an impulsive person after some time begins to regret the perfect act, which previously led to the destruction of any relationship. Depending on the personal qualities, this person can either ask for forgiveness, or further aggravate the situation.

Impulsivity Test

In order to determine the presence of impulsivity, specially designed tests are used (for example, H. Eysenck's impulsiveness questionnaire).

In the questionnaire below, the subject must put “+” or “-” next to the statement, depending on whether he agrees or not.

For "+" to questions 1,2,4,5,7,9-12 and 15 and for negative answers to No. 3,6, 8,13,14, you must put 1 point. total than more quantity calculated points, the more pronounced your impulsiveness.

It must be remembered that it is impossible to unequivocally state that impulsivity is something negative in a person. Do not forget that human nature is multifaceted and in most cases unpredictable.

“I just have to buy it, it’s impossible to resist!” "I'm so sorry I said that..." Familiar? We hear these words every day and often say them ourselves. Can we automatically regulate or control our actions, words and deeds, i.e. To what extent are we able to contain and resist our emotions and impulses? In this article, you will learn about what impulsivity is and what are the causes and symptoms of impulsive behavior. We will also tell you how you can assess the level of impulsivity.

Impulsivity and causes of impulsive behavior

What is impulsivity? Impulsivity is a feature of behavior and perception of the surrounding world, expressed in the tendency to act and react to an event, situation, or inner experience quickly and thoughtlessly under the influence of emotions or circumstances. In this case, the main feature is error in analytical judgment, in which the consequences of one's actions are not evaluated, which often leads to the fact that in the future an impulsive person repents of his actions.

Reasons for impulsive behavior

Neuroscientists using PET ( positron emission tomography) discovered the pathway along which an impulse or thought passes in the brain, turning into a repetitive compulsion, and explained why some people it is difficult to control the momentum that comes in return for a reward or a long-term goal.

What are the causes of impulsive behavior? Impulsivity or impulsive behavior is closely related to- a substance involved in learning and reward processes.

In other words, in order to get the fastest reward, there is a certain deviation in the work of the brain nuclei responsible for analyzing and making the most appropriate situation and deliberate decisions. Scientist Joshua Buckholz of Vanderbilt University suggested in 2009 that impulsive people have a lower number of active dopamine receptors in the midbrain area associated with the ability to make logical and deliberate decisions, which can also increase the risk of depression and impulsive behavior. Those. the smaller the number of active dopamine receptors in the midbrain region, where dopamine-synthesizing neurons are located, the more dopamine is released and the more degree impulsiveness.

Very often impulsive people regret their behavior. while not stopping it. Often it becomes repetitive and compulsive, as in the case of an addiction to psychoactive substances, gambling, compulsive shopping, smoking, alcohol, etc.

Symptoms of Impulsivity

On the other hand, a number of researchers Michalczuk, Bowden-Jones, Verdejo García, Clark, 2011) named four main characteristics of impulsivity:

Inability to plan and forecast: acting under the influence of impulses, we cannot foresee the expected and logical consequences, any result is a “surprise”.
Low control: another cigarette, a piece of cake, an inappropriate comment… “no brakes” and self-control.
Lack of perseverance: postponing uninteresting tasks. Only the search for bright and sharp emotions.
Constant search for new experiences and the need to urgently receive them, which is understood as the tendency to act under the influence of intense positive or negative emotions and conditions that distort the ability to make informed alternative decisions and thereby avoid the constant remorse and remorse that is very typical of impulsive people.

Impulses happen different types and have different consequences - compare: eat an extra piece of cake and steal something, break it or harm yourself or others.

Please note that the key role in this case is played by emotional condition, while the above processes that take place in the brain occurrence emotions that cloud the perception of reality, and the desire to get them at all costs becomes irresistible.

How is impulsivity diagnosed?

If you are characterized by such an emotional state and suffer from its consequences, not to mention the fact that it may be associated with other serious disorders such as ADHD or Parkinson's disease, it is necessary to consult a specialist for diagnosis, who will determine the severity and type of impulsive behavior and offer effective therapeutic measures (including psychotropic drugs), tools and special tests. In addition, you can also take CogniFit neuropsychological testing, which will be an additional help in making a diagnosis by a specialist.

Translation by Anna Inozemtseva

Sources

Celma Merola, Jaume. Bases teóricas y clinica del comportamiento impulsive. Colección digital Professionalidad. Ed. San Juan de Dios. Barcelona (2015).

Shalev, I., & Sulkowski, M.L. (2009). Relations between distinct aspects of self-regulation to symptoms of impulsivity and compulsivity. Personality and Individual Differences, 47,84-88.

Why Are You So Impulsive? Self-regulation and symptoms of impulsivity. Timothy A Pychyl Ph.D. Don't delay. Psychology Today, Posted Jun 23, 2009