Abstract
Prior work on maladaptive coping behaviors has cited impulsivity as a risk factor. The concept of impulsivity, however, fails to address the potential role of negative affect in such behaviors. The UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale attempts to address this weakness by dividing impulsivity into four subscales: Urgency, Sensation Seeking, (lack of) Premeditation, and (lack of) Perseverance. I predicted that urgency, defined as the tendency to act rashly in response to the experience of negative affect, would be related to elevations on three maladaptive coping behaviors - excessive reassurance seeking, drinking to cope, and bulimic symptoms as measured by the Eating Disorder Inventory - in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in an undergraduate sample (N=70). Participants were assessed at two time points, three to four weeks apart. Urgency significantly predicted all three outcome variables cross-sectionally at both Time 1 and Time 2. Time 1 urgency significantly predicted Time 2 excessive reassurance seeking. Changes in urgency from Time 1 to Time 2 predicted changes in all three outcome variables. Results indicate a cross-sectional relationship exists between urgency and certain maladaptive coping behaviors. Additionally, some form of longitudinal relationship appears to exist between these variables.
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