Philippe Gay | Université de Genève (original) (raw)

Papers by Philippe Gay

Research paper thumbnail of Gay, P. & Capron Puozzo, I. (2016). Vers une approche neuropsychologique et sociocognitive de la créativité pour mieux apprendre. Formation et pratiques d’enseignement en questions, 1, 63-83.

Research paper thumbnail of Don't argue with yourself when you want to fall asleep: The links between impulsivity, self-attacking, and insomnia

Research paper thumbnail of Antibiotic resistance markers in genetically modified plants: a risk to human health?

The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 2005

Cotransformation with an antibiotic-resistance marker is often necessary in the process of creati... more Cotransformation with an antibiotic-resistance marker is often necessary in the process of creating a genetically modified (GM) plant. Concern has been expressed that the release of these markers in GM plants may result in an increase in the rate of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. For such an event to occur, DNA must not be totally degraded in field conditions, and the antibiotic-resistance marker must encounter potential recipient bacteria and be taken up by them, before being integrated into the bacterial genome, and the genes then expressed. In addition, the new recombinant must overcome the physiological disadvantage of acquisition of a piece of foreign DNA, probably in conditions where the new gene does not provide a selective advantage. We review each of these stages, summarising the investigations that have followed each of these steps. We contrast the potential increase in the antibiotic resistance reservoir created by antibiotic-resistance markers in GM plants wit...

Research paper thumbnail of German UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale

Research paper thumbnail of Impulsivity as a risk factor for insomnia: Evidence from an exploratory study

Research paper thumbnail of A LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE RELATIONS BETWEEN PERSONALITY, SLEEP, CONDUCT PROBLEMS, AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE IN ADOLESCENTS

Research paper thumbnail of Validation of a French version of the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS)

Comprehensive Psychiatry, 2014

Procrastination is a widespread phenomenon that affects everyone's day-to-day life and interferes... more Procrastination is a widespread phenomenon that affects everyone's day-to-day life and interferes with the clinical treatment of several psychopathological states. To assess this construct, Steel (2010) developed the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS), a short scale intended to capture the general notion of dysfunctional delay. The aim of the current study was to present a French version of this questionnaire. To this end, the 12 items of the PPS were translated into French and data were collected from an online survey in a sample of 245 French-speaking individuals from the general population. The results revealed that one item had problematic face validity; it was therefore removed. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses performed on the resulting 11-item version of the French PPS indicated that the scale was composed of two factors ("voluntary delay" and "observed delay") depending on a common, higher-order construct ("general procrastination"). Good internal consistency and test-retest reliability were found. External validity was supported by specific relationships with measures of personality traits, impulsivity, and subjective well-being. The French PPS therefore presents satisfactory psychometric properties and may be considered a reliable and valid instrument for research, teaching and clinical practice.

Research paper thumbnail of Do emotional stimuli interfere with two distinct components of inhibition?

Cognition & emotion, 2015

Emotions have recently been shown to interfere with the efficacy of inhibitory control. However, ... more Emotions have recently been shown to interfere with the efficacy of inhibitory control. However, understanding their impact requires taking into account that inhibition is not a unitary construct, but consists of distinct functions underlain by specific mechanisms. In this study, 88 participants performed two emotional versions of classic laboratory tasks designed to assess (1) the ability to inhibit a prepotent response (a stop-signal task using faces with different emotional expressions) and (2) the capacity to resist the effect of proactive interference (PI; a recent negative task that included emotional words). Overall results showed that emotional stimuli interfered with inhibition capacities in both tasks. Although tending in the same direction, these results suggest that different underlying mechanisms (e.g., top-down vs. bottom-up processes) or consecutive differences in emotional processing (e.g., different interactions with stimulus/task properties, processing stages or mo...

Research paper thumbnail of A German Adaptation of the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale: Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure

Swiss Journal of Psychology, 2008

Impulsivity is a key construct in psychology, psychopathol-ogy, and neuropsychology. Research int... more Impulsivity is a key construct in psychology, psychopathol-ogy, and neuropsychology. Research into its implication in mental disorders has for a long time suffered from a prolif-eration of partly inconsistent conceptualizations and mea-surements (cf. Evenden, 1999). In an attempt to ...

Research paper thumbnail of Validation of a French version of the thought control questionnaire-insomnia revised (TCQI-R)

Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée/European Review of Applied Psychology, 2009

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of Psychological Predictors of Problematic Involvement in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games: Illustration in a Sample of Male Cybercafé Players

Psychopathology, 2011

high urgency ( b = 0.45), and (2) a motivation to play for immersion ( b = 0.35). Conclusion: Thi... more high urgency ( b = 0.45), and (2) a motivation to play for immersion ( b = 0.35). Conclusion: This study showed that, for certain individuals (who are characterized by a proneness to act rashly in emotional contexts and motivated to play to be immersed in a virtual world), involvement in MMORPGs can become problematic and engender tangible negative consequences in daily life.

Research paper thumbnail of Linking impulsivity to dysfunctional thought control and insomnia: a structural equation model

Journal of Sleep Research, 2010

According to cognitive models of insomnia, excessive mental activity at bedtime may be viewed as ... more According to cognitive models of insomnia, excessive mental activity at bedtime may be viewed as an important impediment to the process of falling asleep. A further assumption of these models is that 'cognitive arousal' may be perpetuated and exacerbated by counterproductive strategies of thought management. As yet, little is known about factors that may predispose people to rely on these strategies when confronted with thoughts that keep them awake at night. This study examined the relations between impulsivity, use of different thought-control strategies and insomnia severity. A sample of 391 university students completed the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale, the Thought Control Questionnaire Insomnia-Revised and the Insomnia Severity Index. Correlation analyses revealed that two facets of impulsivity (urgency and lack of perseverance), two strategies of thought control (aggressive suppression and worry) and insomnia severity were positively associated. Follow-up structural equation modeling analyses showed that the two mentioned thought-control strategies mediated the effects of the two facets of impulsivity on sleep problems. These findings extend existing cognitive accounts of insomnia by suggesting how predisposing and perpetuating factors may be related: specific personality traits may incline individuals to respond with dysfunctional thought-control strategies to unwanted mental activity at night.

Research paper thumbnail of Can the distinction between intentional and unintentional interference control help differentiate varieties of impulsivity?

Journal of Research in Personality, 2010

It has recently been shown that perseverance specifically relates to resisting proactive interfer... more It has recently been shown that perseverance specifically relates to resisting proactive interference . Heterogeneous inhibition processes involved in different facets of self-reported impulsivity: Evidence from a community sample. Acta Psychologica, 129, 332-339]. The aim of this study was to replicate and extend this finding by investigating the relationships between unintentional control of interference (in a recent-negatives task), intentional control of interference (in a directed-forgetting task), and the four facets of impulsivity. The performance of 71 volunteers indicated that the relevant variables of the two tasks shared very little or no variance. In particular, regression analyses showed that lower perseverance (i.e., higher impulsivity on this facet) predicted more interference-related errors in both tasks and less time dedicated to resolving proactive interference; however, lower perseverance did not predict directed-forgetting cost. Higher urgency predicted higher interference time due to response-conflict.

Research paper thumbnail of A Psychometric Evaluation of the Thought Control Ability Questionnaire (TCAQ) and the Prediction of Cognitive Control

Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 2010

Study 1 evaluated the psychometric properties of the English version of the Thought Control Abili... more Study 1 evaluated the psychometric properties of the English version of the Thought Control Ability Questionnaire (TCAQ;, an index of perceived control over intrusive cognitions. Confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of 720 University students revealed a clear unidimensional structure (after removal of items 5, 7, 8, 14, and 25) with high internal consistency (α=.87, 95% CI = [.86, .88]) and test-retest reliability after a six month interval (r=.68). Correlational analyses supported an inverse relationship with measures of depression, anxiety, maladaptive cognitive control strategies, and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. Study 2 tested the ability of the TCAQ to predict successful cognitive control during an experimental suppression protocol. Results demonstrated that weak thought control ability was predictive of the frequency and associated levels of distress of a target thought while under instruction to suppress. Additionally, weak perceived thought control ability was predictive of increased efforts to suppress the target material. Collectively, results suggest that thought control ability is a measurable individual difference variable and that the TCAQ is a reliable index of perceived cognitive control.

Research paper thumbnail of Validation of a French Adaptation of the Thought Control Ability Questionnaire

European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 2008

Page 1. P.Gay et al.: FrenchThought ControlAbility Questionnaire EuropeanJournalofPsy chological ... more Page 1. P.Gay et al.: FrenchThought ControlAbility Questionnaire EuropeanJournalofPsy chological Assessment2007;Vol. 24(2):101–107 © 2008Hogrefe& HuberPublishers Validation of a French Adaptation of the Thought Control Ability Questionnaire ...

Research paper thumbnail of Lack of inhibitory control predicts cigarette smoking dependence: Evidence from a non-deprived sample of light to moderate smokers

Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2010

Objective: To examine the relationship between prepotent inhibition capacities and cigarette depe... more Objective: To examine the relationship between prepotent inhibition capacities and cigarette dependence in a sample of non-deprived light to moderate smokers. Methods: Fifty volunteer smokers were screened with a laboratory go-stop paradigm, and self-reports of cigarette dependence (Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, FTND) and cigarette craving (revised Questionnaire on Smoking Urge, QSU-12). Results: Correlation and regression analyses showed that lower prepotent inhibition capacities predict higher levels of cigarette dependence when individual differences in processing speed, craving states, and age were controlled for. In addition, lower inhibition capacity is associated with a higher number of cigarettes smoked per day. Conclusions: A poor ability to inhibit prepotent responses seems to be one of the individual factors related to cigarette smoking dependence.

Research paper thumbnail of Impulsivity and Intrusive Thoughts: Related Manifestations of Self-Control Difficulties?

Cognitive Therapy and Research, 2011

... 123 Page 5. measures of impulsivity (Nagtegaal and Rassin 2004), thought suppression tendenci... more ... 123 Page 5. measures of impulsivity (Nagtegaal and Rassin 2004), thought suppression tendencies were also included in this second study to examine the links between this mental control technique, the four facets of impulsivity, and the different measures of intrusive thoughts. ...

Research paper thumbnail of The role of urgency and its underlying psychological mechanisms in problematic behaviours

Behaviour Research and Therapy, 2010

The urgency facet of impulsivity, that is, the tendency to act rashly in response to intense emot... more The urgency facet of impulsivity, that is, the tendency to act rashly in response to intense emotional contexts . Emotion-based dispositions to rash action: positive and negative urgency. Psychological Bulletin, 134, 807e828], has been related to a wide range of maladaptive behaviours. The present study further investigates the role of urgency in problematic behaviours by considering distinct psychological mechanisms that may underlie this component of impulsivity. With this aim, 95 volunteer participants were screened with self-reported questionnaires assessing urgency and three problematic behaviours (compulsive buying, excessive mobile phone use, excessive Internet use). They performed two laboratory tasks: a stop-signal task designed to assess the capacity to inhibit prepotent responses in response to both neutral and emotional stimuli; and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) measuring the ability to take into account the future consequences of an action. A poor ability to inhibit prepotent responses in the emotional condition of the stop-signal task was found to predict more disadvantageous choices in the IGT, which ultimately results in higher urgency and more problematic behaviours. These findings shed new light on the construct of urgency, its related psychological mechanisms, and its role in problematic behaviours.

Research paper thumbnail of Facets of Impulsivity Are Differentially Linked to Insomnia: Evidence From an Exploratory Study

Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 2008

This study investigated the association between insomnia and four facets of impulsivity as distin... more This study investigated the association between insomnia and four facets of impulsivity as distinguished by Whiteside and Lynam (2001): urgency, (lack of) premeditation, (lack of) perseverance, and sensation seeking. A sample of 233 university students completed the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale, the Insomnia Severity Index, and a short questionnaire on sleep-related mentation. Correlational analyses revealed that urgency was related to insomnia severity and insomnia-related impairments in daytime functioning, and that lack of perseverance was related to insomnia-related impairments in daytime functioning. Follow-up analyses showed that the frequency of disturbing thoughts and visions during the pre-sleep period partially mediated the relation between urgency and sleep-initiation problems, and that the frequency of disturbing dreams and nightmares partially mediated the relation between urgency and sleep-maintenance problems. These findings suggest that the facets of impulsivity are differentially linked to insomnia and that urgency is associated with sleep-interfering nighttime mentation.

Research paper thumbnail of Impulsivité, contrôle de la pensée et inhibition

... notamment mes amis et collègues de sport qui m'ont permis de calmer mon urgence, d'... more ... notamment mes amis et collègues de sport qui m'ont permis de calmer mon urgence, d'améliorer ma persévérance et de satisfaire ma recherche de sensations sur les terrains de volley et dans les belles eaux du lac de Genève. i Page 4. Page 5. Avant propos ...

Research paper thumbnail of Gay, P. & Capron Puozzo, I. (2016). Vers une approche neuropsychologique et sociocognitive de la créativité pour mieux apprendre. Formation et pratiques d’enseignement en questions, 1, 63-83.

Research paper thumbnail of Don't argue with yourself when you want to fall asleep: The links between impulsivity, self-attacking, and insomnia

Research paper thumbnail of Antibiotic resistance markers in genetically modified plants: a risk to human health?

The Lancet. Infectious diseases, 2005

Cotransformation with an antibiotic-resistance marker is often necessary in the process of creati... more Cotransformation with an antibiotic-resistance marker is often necessary in the process of creating a genetically modified (GM) plant. Concern has been expressed that the release of these markers in GM plants may result in an increase in the rate of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. For such an event to occur, DNA must not be totally degraded in field conditions, and the antibiotic-resistance marker must encounter potential recipient bacteria and be taken up by them, before being integrated into the bacterial genome, and the genes then expressed. In addition, the new recombinant must overcome the physiological disadvantage of acquisition of a piece of foreign DNA, probably in conditions where the new gene does not provide a selective advantage. We review each of these stages, summarising the investigations that have followed each of these steps. We contrast the potential increase in the antibiotic resistance reservoir created by antibiotic-resistance markers in GM plants wit...

Research paper thumbnail of German UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale

Research paper thumbnail of Impulsivity as a risk factor for insomnia: Evidence from an exploratory study

Research paper thumbnail of A LONGITUDINAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE RELATIONS BETWEEN PERSONALITY, SLEEP, CONDUCT PROBLEMS, AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE IN ADOLESCENTS

Research paper thumbnail of Validation of a French version of the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS)

Comprehensive Psychiatry, 2014

Procrastination is a widespread phenomenon that affects everyone's day-to-day life and interferes... more Procrastination is a widespread phenomenon that affects everyone's day-to-day life and interferes with the clinical treatment of several psychopathological states. To assess this construct, Steel (2010) developed the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS), a short scale intended to capture the general notion of dysfunctional delay. The aim of the current study was to present a French version of this questionnaire. To this end, the 12 items of the PPS were translated into French and data were collected from an online survey in a sample of 245 French-speaking individuals from the general population. The results revealed that one item had problematic face validity; it was therefore removed. Exploratory and confirmatory analyses performed on the resulting 11-item version of the French PPS indicated that the scale was composed of two factors ("voluntary delay" and "observed delay") depending on a common, higher-order construct ("general procrastination"). Good internal consistency and test-retest reliability were found. External validity was supported by specific relationships with measures of personality traits, impulsivity, and subjective well-being. The French PPS therefore presents satisfactory psychometric properties and may be considered a reliable and valid instrument for research, teaching and clinical practice.

Research paper thumbnail of Do emotional stimuli interfere with two distinct components of inhibition?

Cognition & emotion, 2015

Emotions have recently been shown to interfere with the efficacy of inhibitory control. However, ... more Emotions have recently been shown to interfere with the efficacy of inhibitory control. However, understanding their impact requires taking into account that inhibition is not a unitary construct, but consists of distinct functions underlain by specific mechanisms. In this study, 88 participants performed two emotional versions of classic laboratory tasks designed to assess (1) the ability to inhibit a prepotent response (a stop-signal task using faces with different emotional expressions) and (2) the capacity to resist the effect of proactive interference (PI; a recent negative task that included emotional words). Overall results showed that emotional stimuli interfered with inhibition capacities in both tasks. Although tending in the same direction, these results suggest that different underlying mechanisms (e.g., top-down vs. bottom-up processes) or consecutive differences in emotional processing (e.g., different interactions with stimulus/task properties, processing stages or mo...

Research paper thumbnail of A German Adaptation of the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale: Psychometric Properties and Factor Structure

Swiss Journal of Psychology, 2008

Impulsivity is a key construct in psychology, psychopathol-ogy, and neuropsychology. Research int... more Impulsivity is a key construct in psychology, psychopathol-ogy, and neuropsychology. Research into its implication in mental disorders has for a long time suffered from a prolif-eration of partly inconsistent conceptualizations and mea-surements (cf. Evenden, 1999). In an attempt to ...

Research paper thumbnail of Validation of a French version of the thought control questionnaire-insomnia revised (TCQI-R)

Revue Européenne de Psychologie Appliquée/European Review of Applied Psychology, 2009

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of Psychological Predictors of Problematic Involvement in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games: Illustration in a Sample of Male Cybercafé Players

Psychopathology, 2011

high urgency ( b = 0.45), and (2) a motivation to play for immersion ( b = 0.35). Conclusion: Thi... more high urgency ( b = 0.45), and (2) a motivation to play for immersion ( b = 0.35). Conclusion: This study showed that, for certain individuals (who are characterized by a proneness to act rashly in emotional contexts and motivated to play to be immersed in a virtual world), involvement in MMORPGs can become problematic and engender tangible negative consequences in daily life.

Research paper thumbnail of Linking impulsivity to dysfunctional thought control and insomnia: a structural equation model

Journal of Sleep Research, 2010

According to cognitive models of insomnia, excessive mental activity at bedtime may be viewed as ... more According to cognitive models of insomnia, excessive mental activity at bedtime may be viewed as an important impediment to the process of falling asleep. A further assumption of these models is that 'cognitive arousal' may be perpetuated and exacerbated by counterproductive strategies of thought management. As yet, little is known about factors that may predispose people to rely on these strategies when confronted with thoughts that keep them awake at night. This study examined the relations between impulsivity, use of different thought-control strategies and insomnia severity. A sample of 391 university students completed the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale, the Thought Control Questionnaire Insomnia-Revised and the Insomnia Severity Index. Correlation analyses revealed that two facets of impulsivity (urgency and lack of perseverance), two strategies of thought control (aggressive suppression and worry) and insomnia severity were positively associated. Follow-up structural equation modeling analyses showed that the two mentioned thought-control strategies mediated the effects of the two facets of impulsivity on sleep problems. These findings extend existing cognitive accounts of insomnia by suggesting how predisposing and perpetuating factors may be related: specific personality traits may incline individuals to respond with dysfunctional thought-control strategies to unwanted mental activity at night.

Research paper thumbnail of Can the distinction between intentional and unintentional interference control help differentiate varieties of impulsivity?

Journal of Research in Personality, 2010

It has recently been shown that perseverance specifically relates to resisting proactive interfer... more It has recently been shown that perseverance specifically relates to resisting proactive interference . Heterogeneous inhibition processes involved in different facets of self-reported impulsivity: Evidence from a community sample. Acta Psychologica, 129, 332-339]. The aim of this study was to replicate and extend this finding by investigating the relationships between unintentional control of interference (in a recent-negatives task), intentional control of interference (in a directed-forgetting task), and the four facets of impulsivity. The performance of 71 volunteers indicated that the relevant variables of the two tasks shared very little or no variance. In particular, regression analyses showed that lower perseverance (i.e., higher impulsivity on this facet) predicted more interference-related errors in both tasks and less time dedicated to resolving proactive interference; however, lower perseverance did not predict directed-forgetting cost. Higher urgency predicted higher interference time due to response-conflict.

Research paper thumbnail of A Psychometric Evaluation of the Thought Control Ability Questionnaire (TCAQ) and the Prediction of Cognitive Control

Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 2010

Study 1 evaluated the psychometric properties of the English version of the Thought Control Abili... more Study 1 evaluated the psychometric properties of the English version of the Thought Control Ability Questionnaire (TCAQ;, an index of perceived control over intrusive cognitions. Confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of 720 University students revealed a clear unidimensional structure (after removal of items 5, 7, 8, 14, and 25) with high internal consistency (α=.87, 95% CI = [.86, .88]) and test-retest reliability after a six month interval (r=.68). Correlational analyses supported an inverse relationship with measures of depression, anxiety, maladaptive cognitive control strategies, and obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. Study 2 tested the ability of the TCAQ to predict successful cognitive control during an experimental suppression protocol. Results demonstrated that weak thought control ability was predictive of the frequency and associated levels of distress of a target thought while under instruction to suppress. Additionally, weak perceived thought control ability was predictive of increased efforts to suppress the target material. Collectively, results suggest that thought control ability is a measurable individual difference variable and that the TCAQ is a reliable index of perceived cognitive control.

Research paper thumbnail of Validation of a French Adaptation of the Thought Control Ability Questionnaire

European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 2008

Page 1. P.Gay et al.: FrenchThought ControlAbility Questionnaire EuropeanJournalofPsy chological ... more Page 1. P.Gay et al.: FrenchThought ControlAbility Questionnaire EuropeanJournalofPsy chological Assessment2007;Vol. 24(2):101–107 © 2008Hogrefe& HuberPublishers Validation of a French Adaptation of the Thought Control Ability Questionnaire ...

Research paper thumbnail of Lack of inhibitory control predicts cigarette smoking dependence: Evidence from a non-deprived sample of light to moderate smokers

Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 2010

Objective: To examine the relationship between prepotent inhibition capacities and cigarette depe... more Objective: To examine the relationship between prepotent inhibition capacities and cigarette dependence in a sample of non-deprived light to moderate smokers. Methods: Fifty volunteer smokers were screened with a laboratory go-stop paradigm, and self-reports of cigarette dependence (Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, FTND) and cigarette craving (revised Questionnaire on Smoking Urge, QSU-12). Results: Correlation and regression analyses showed that lower prepotent inhibition capacities predict higher levels of cigarette dependence when individual differences in processing speed, craving states, and age were controlled for. In addition, lower inhibition capacity is associated with a higher number of cigarettes smoked per day. Conclusions: A poor ability to inhibit prepotent responses seems to be one of the individual factors related to cigarette smoking dependence.

Research paper thumbnail of Impulsivity and Intrusive Thoughts: Related Manifestations of Self-Control Difficulties?

Cognitive Therapy and Research, 2011

... 123 Page 5. measures of impulsivity (Nagtegaal and Rassin 2004), thought suppression tendenci... more ... 123 Page 5. measures of impulsivity (Nagtegaal and Rassin 2004), thought suppression tendencies were also included in this second study to examine the links between this mental control technique, the four facets of impulsivity, and the different measures of intrusive thoughts. ...

Research paper thumbnail of The role of urgency and its underlying psychological mechanisms in problematic behaviours

Behaviour Research and Therapy, 2010

The urgency facet of impulsivity, that is, the tendency to act rashly in response to intense emot... more The urgency facet of impulsivity, that is, the tendency to act rashly in response to intense emotional contexts . Emotion-based dispositions to rash action: positive and negative urgency. Psychological Bulletin, 134, 807e828], has been related to a wide range of maladaptive behaviours. The present study further investigates the role of urgency in problematic behaviours by considering distinct psychological mechanisms that may underlie this component of impulsivity. With this aim, 95 volunteer participants were screened with self-reported questionnaires assessing urgency and three problematic behaviours (compulsive buying, excessive mobile phone use, excessive Internet use). They performed two laboratory tasks: a stop-signal task designed to assess the capacity to inhibit prepotent responses in response to both neutral and emotional stimuli; and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) measuring the ability to take into account the future consequences of an action. A poor ability to inhibit prepotent responses in the emotional condition of the stop-signal task was found to predict more disadvantageous choices in the IGT, which ultimately results in higher urgency and more problematic behaviours. These findings shed new light on the construct of urgency, its related psychological mechanisms, and its role in problematic behaviours.

Research paper thumbnail of Facets of Impulsivity Are Differentially Linked to Insomnia: Evidence From an Exploratory Study

Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 2008

This study investigated the association between insomnia and four facets of impulsivity as distin... more This study investigated the association between insomnia and four facets of impulsivity as distinguished by Whiteside and Lynam (2001): urgency, (lack of) premeditation, (lack of) perseverance, and sensation seeking. A sample of 233 university students completed the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale, the Insomnia Severity Index, and a short questionnaire on sleep-related mentation. Correlational analyses revealed that urgency was related to insomnia severity and insomnia-related impairments in daytime functioning, and that lack of perseverance was related to insomnia-related impairments in daytime functioning. Follow-up analyses showed that the frequency of disturbing thoughts and visions during the pre-sleep period partially mediated the relation between urgency and sleep-initiation problems, and that the frequency of disturbing dreams and nightmares partially mediated the relation between urgency and sleep-maintenance problems. These findings suggest that the facets of impulsivity are differentially linked to insomnia and that urgency is associated with sleep-interfering nighttime mentation.

Research paper thumbnail of Impulsivité, contrôle de la pensée et inhibition

... notamment mes amis et collègues de sport qui m'ont permis de calmer mon urgence, d'... more ... notamment mes amis et collègues de sport qui m'ont permis de calmer mon urgence, d'améliorer ma persévérance et de satisfaire ma recherche de sensations sur les terrains de volley et dans les belles eaux du lac de Genève. i Page 4. Page 5. Avant propos ...