Individual Differences

People differ in their level of impulsive choice, and this is critical because more impulsive behavior is associated with substance abuse, gambling, and obesity. We have been investigating the possible sources of these individual differences in rats. It appears that there are two potential pathways to impulsivity: through deficits in reward processing or through deficits in timing processes (see Figure 1). Our laboratory has been screening for deficits in these two underlying processes and examining their relationship with impulsive choice behavior. For example, temporal discrimination and delay tolerance predicts impulsive choice, with greater timing discrimination (precision) and better delay tolerance associated with greater self-control (Marshall, Smith, & Kirkpatrick, 2014). In addition, reward discrimination ability also predicts impulsive choice (Marshall & Kirkpatrick, 2016), suggesting that discrimination of the choice options is important for self-control. We are currently working on understanding how these factors contribute both separately and together in affecting choice behavior so that these deficits can be addressed through targeted behavioral interventions.

Figure 1.

Related Publications

Marshall, A. T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2016). Mechanisms of impulsive choice: III. The role of reward processes. Behavioural Processes. DOI:10.1016/j.beproc.2015.10.013.

Kirkpatrick, K., Marshall, A. T., & Smith, A. P. (2015). Mechanisms of individual differences in impulsive and risky choice. Comparative Cognition and Behavior Reviews, 10, 45-72.

Peterson, J. R., Hill, C. C., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2015). Measurement of impulsive choice in rats: same and alternate form test-retest reliability and temporal tracking. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 103, 166-179.

Smith, A. P., Marshall, A. T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2015). Mechanisms of impulsive choice: II. Time-based interventions to improve self-control. Behavioural Processes, 112, 29-42.

Marshall, A. T., Smith, A. P., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2014). Mechanisms of impulsive choice: I. Individual differences in interval timing and reward processing. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 102, 86-101.

Kirkpatrick, K., Marshall, A. T., Smith, A., Koci, J., & Park, Y. (2014). Individual differences in impulsive and risky choice: Effects of environmental rearing conditions. Behavioural Brain Research, 269, 115-127.

Galtress, T., Garcia, A., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2012). Individual differences in impulsive choice and timing in rats. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 98, 65-87.

Related Conference Presentations

Kirkpatrick, K. (2016). Origins of impulsive choice. Invited talk at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS.

Kirkpatrick, K. (2015). Multiple pathways to impulsive choice. Invited colloquium at the State University of New York – Binghamton, Binghamton, NY.

Kirkpatrick, K. (2015). A mechanistic analysis of individual differences in impulsive choice in rats. Invited address at the Southeastern Association for Behavior Analysis. Roanoke, VA.

Hill, C. C., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2015). Mechanisms of impulsive choice: IV. Individual differences in timing and reward processes. Spring Meeting of the International Conference on Comparative Cognition, Melbourne, FL.

Marshall, A. T., Wang, Z., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2015). Individual differences in impulsivity and behavioral flexibility: Effects of early rearing environment. Spring Meeting of the International Conference on Comparative Cognition, Melbourne, FL.

Kirkpatrick, K., & Marshall, A. T. (2015). Mechanisms of impulsive choice: III. The role of reward processes. Invited symposium contribution at the Spring Meeting of the International Conference on Comparative Cognition, Melbourne, FL.

Kirkpatrick, K. (2015). Individual differences in impulsive and risky choice. Invited colloquium presented at the Center for Visual and Cognitive Neuroscience, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND.

Peterson, J. R., Hill, C. C., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2014). The role of timing processes in three different impulsive choice procedures. Society for Neuroscience, Washington, DC.

Kirkpatrick, K. (2014). Individual differences in impulsive and risky choice. Meeting on Addictions, Mexico City, MX.

Marshall, A. T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2014). Mechanisms of impulsive choice: reward sensitivity and devaluation. Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior, Chicago, IL.

Peterson, J. R., Hill, C., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2014). Measurement of impulsive choice in rats: II. Test-retest reliability. International Conference on Comparative Cognition, Melbourne, FL.

Hill, C., Peterson, J. R., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2014). Measurement of impulsive choice in rats: I. Preliminary assessment. International Conference on Comparative Cognition, Melbourne, FL.

Marshall, A. T., Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2013). Impulsive choice mechanisms: a reductionist approach. Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior, Minneapolis, MN.

Smith, A., Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2012). Predictors of impulsive choice behavior . Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior, Seattle, WA.

Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2012). Timing, reward discrimination, and impulsive choice behavior. Society for the Quantitative Analyses of Behavior, Seattle, WA.

Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2012). A rat model of impulsive choice behavior: Reward-related correlates of performance. Oklahoma/Kansas Judgement and Decision Making Group Workshop, Manhattan, KS.

Marshall, A., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2012). Analysis of interval timing in two discounting procedures. Invited symposium contribution at the 38th annual meeting of Association for Behavior Analysis International, Seattle, WA.

Galtress, T., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2011). Individual differences in delay discounting. International Conference on Comparative Cognition, Seattle, WA.

Galtress, T., Crumer, A., Garcia, A., & Kirkpatrick, K. (2011). Individual differences in impulsive choice behavior. International Conference on Comparative Cognition, Melbourne, FL.

Kirkpatrick, K. (2011). Individual differences in impulsivity. Invited address at the 25th Annual Meeting of the Texas Applied Behavior Analysis Association, Galveston, TX.

Kirkpatrick, K. (2011). Reward processing, timing, and impulsivity. Invited symposium contribution at the Annual Meeting of the Southwestern Psychological Association, San Antonio, TX.