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Impulsive Behavior Scale (SUPPS-P)3

Impulsive Behavior Scale (SUPPS-P) Test

Understand your impulsivity profile in about 4 minutes, including emotion-driven urges, thrill seeking, and follow-through. Fast, focused results support clearer treatment planning and risk screening with just 20 items.

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Questions: 204 minutes

08:30

October 2, 2025

October 2, 2025
Material has been updated

October 2, 2025
Material has been published

13,205 views

1,557 completions

1,153 likes

Verified by Daniel Hall

Psychologist with 25 years of experience

Scale Explorer

How the Scales are Structured

example score

66/80

Impulsive Behavior (IB)

This scale measures overall impulsivity as a tendency to act quickly on urges or emotions without sufficient planning or restraint.

Low impulsivity

Moderate impulsivity

High impulsivity

20 – 39: Low impulsivity | 40 – 59: Moderate impulsivity | 60 – 80: High impulsivity

A score of 66 falls in the High impulsivity range, suggesting a stronger-than-average tendency toward spontaneous, less-considered actions and reduced self-control in the moment.

example score

13/16

Lack of Premeditation (LoP)

Measures the tendency to make quick decisions without planning or considering consequences.

More deliberate

Somewhat impulsive

Less intentional

4 – 8: More deliberate | 9 – 12: Somewhat impulsive | 13 – 16: Less intentional

A score of 13 falls in the Less intentional range, suggesting a stronger tendency to act without sufficient forethought.

example score

9/16

Lack of Perseverance (LoP)

This scale measures how consistently a person can stay focused and complete tasks without quickly shifting to something else.

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 7: Low | 8 – 12: Moderate | 13 – 16: High

A score of 9 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting occasional difficulty maintaining focus and following through to finish tasks.

example score

10/16

Sensation Seeking (SS)

Measures the tendency to seek novel, intense, and thrilling experiences even when they involve some risk.

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 7: Low | 8 – 12: Moderate | 13 – 16: High

A score of 10 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting an average preference for variety and excitement that is present but not dominant.

example score

10/16

Positive Urgency (PU)

Measures the tendency to act impulsively when experiencing positive emotions like joy or excitement.

Lower

Moderate

Higher

4 – 7: Lower | 8 – 12: Moderate | 13 – 16: Higher

A score of 10 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting occasional impulsive actions during positive emotions with generally variable self-control when excited.

example score

11/16

Negative Urgency (NU)

Negative urgency measures the tendency to act impulsively when experiencing negative emotions such as stress, anger, or anxiety.

Low

Moderate

High

4 – 8: Low | 9 – 12: Moderate | 13 – 16: High

A score of 11 falls in the Moderate range, suggesting a noticeable tendency toward impulsive actions during negative emotional states, though not consistently at the highest intensity.

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DATA-BASED USER COHORTS

Who Usually Takes This Test?

People managing strong emotions

41%OF USERS

They take it to see whether excitement, anger, stress, or anxiety makes them act too quickly and regret it later.

Students and busy professionals

34%OF USERS

They use it to understand why they struggle with focus, finishing tasks, or making thought-through decisions under pressure.

Clinicians and researchers

25%OF USERS

They administer it as a fast screening tool to profile different impulsivity traits for assessment, treatment planning, or studies.

BASED ON AGGREGATED, ANONYMIZED DATA FROM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FREUDLY USERS.

Benchmarking

See How You Compare

Once you complete the test, your results are compared with real-world data from people in your country.
Below is a preview of how scores are typically distributed across each scale.

Impulsive Behavior Scale (IBS)

Average

Normal range

38.3 — 57.7

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Lack of Intentionality (LoI)

Average

11.2

Normal range

9.7 — 12.7

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Lack of Persistence (LoP)

Average

11.4

Normal range

9.3 — 13.5

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Sensation Seeking (SS)

Average

11.6

Normal range

9.7 — 13.6

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Positive Urgency (PU)

Average

12.3

Normal range

10.2 — 14.5

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

Negative urgency (Nu)

Average

12.8

Normal range

11.2 — 14.5

min.

max.

This curve shows how scores are typically distributed.
Once you complete the test, your result will appear on the scale so you can see how you compare.

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SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Example Questions From the Test

- Strongly disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Somewhat agree
- Strongly agree
- Strongly disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Somewhat agree
- Strongly agree
- Strongly disagree
- Somewhat disagree
- Somewhat agree
- Strongly agree

These are 3 of the 20 real questions — the rest appear in the test. No sign-up needed to start.

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WHAT THE TEST MEASURES

About This Assessment

Impulsive Behavior Scale (SUPPS-P) Test - Symptoms and Signs

impulsivity

search for sensations

Impulsivity is a multidimensional construct that is often assessed with brief self-report measures targeting distinct behavioral tendencies. The Impulsive Behavior Scale (SUPPS-P) is designed to provide a rapid profile of impulsivity-related traits across several domains. It is commonly used in clinical and research settings to support characterization of risk-relevant dispositions.

The measure includes 20 items and typically requires about 4 minutes to complete. Respondents rate statements describing typical thoughts and behaviors, yielding domain-specific scores that can inform case formulation and guide further assessment. The Impulsive Behavior Scale (SUPPS-P) is most appropriately interpreted in conjunction with clinical history and other relevant measures (Smith & Chamorro-Premuzic).

Author: Cyd C. Chamorro-Premuzic, Gregory T. Smith

Literature: Whiteside, S. P., & Lynam, D. R. The five factor model and impulsivity: Using a structural model of personality to understand impulsivity. Personality and Individual Differences. 2001.; Cyders, M. A., Littlefield, A. K., Coffey, S., & Karyadi, K. A. Examination of a short English version of the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale. Addictive Behaviors. 2014.