Impulsivity, which is the second aspect of neuroticism, refers to the difficulty in controlling the satisfaction of one's desires, needs, and impulses.
For individuals with a high score, cravings (for food, cigarettes, goods, or possessions, for example) are perceived, when they arise, as so urgent that the person has great difficulty resisting them, even though they know they may regret it later. Impulsive people are also prone to getting upset quickly when faced with negative events.
People with low impulsivity tend to be very little tempted by the impulse of cravings (for food, cigarettes, goods, or possessions, for example). They tend not to fluctuate much in their mood. They are not particularly irritable and experience less disappointment, frustration, pain, and social isolation. People find them easy to be around. They express their frustration, disappointment, and irritability in a fairly reasonable manner and not very often. Even when they are upset, distressed, angry, or irritated, they calm down quickly. They are less likely to start arguments than the average person and rarely lose their temper. If provoked too much in a conflict, a person with average volatility might react in the same way (especially if they also have a low agreeableness score). However, these individuals tend to remain calm and unflappable, even when they are stressed.
A person with high impulsivity may have difficulty resisting the urge to eat unhealthy foods, even though they know it harms their health.
A person with low impulsivity is able to control their food cravings, allowing them to maintain a healthy diet and stay in good health.
A person with high impulsivity may be prone to making impulsive purchases without considering the long-term financial consequences.
A person with low impulsivity plans their purchases carefully, taking into account their budget and real needs, thus avoiding excessive spending.
Technically, impulsivity has been associated with the activity of brain systems that regulate combat, flight or calm. Impulsivity is not strongly linked to political preference, whether it be liberal or conservative. Women are more impulsive than men. The average percentile for women in a general population (women and men) is 57.5. For men, it is 42.5.