Due to its important role in both healthy groups and those with physical, mental and
behavioral disorders, impulsivity is a widely researched construct. Among various
self-report questionnaires of impulsivity, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale is arguably
the most frequently used measure. Despite its international use, inconsistencies in
the suggested factor structure of its latest version, the BIS-11, have been observed
repeatedly in different samples. The goal of the present study was therefore to test
the factor structure of the BIS-11 in several samples.Exploratory and confirmatory
factor analyses were conducted on two representative samples of Hungarian adults (N
= 2,457; N = 2,040) and a college sample (N = 765).Analyses did not confirm the original
model of the measure in any of the samples. Based on explorative factor analyses,
an alternative three-factor model (cognitive impulsivity; behavioral impulsivity;
and impatience/restlessness) of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale is suggested. The
pattern of the associations between the three factors and aggression, exercise, smoking,
alcohol use, and psychological distress supports the construct validity of this new
model.The new measurement model of impulsivity was confirmed in two independent samples.
However, it requires further cross-cultural validation to clarify the content of self-reported
impulsivity in both clinical and nonclinical samples.
