Mid Sweden University

Impulsivity is an important component If many forms of psychopathology. Though widely used as an index of this construct, the 30-item Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (HIS-11) has demonstrated questionable psychometric properties in several research reports. An 8-item shortened Version has recently been proposed, the Barran Impulsiveness Scale Brief (BIS-Brief) form, which was designed to overcome some of the limitations of the longer scale. In this report, we examine the internal structure and theoretically relevant external correlates of this new short form in large archival samples of individuals involved in the criminal justice system (prison inmates, substance abusers in mandatory treatment, and forensic inpatients). Confirmatory factor analysis of the BIS-Brief indicates adequate fit following a relatively minor modification. Correlations between the HIS-Brief and an array' of criterion measures other self-report scales, interview-based measures, and behavioral outcomes are consistent with predictions and show relatively little or no decrement in predictive validity when compared with the 30-item HIS-11. Our results suggest that the HIS-Brief is a promising brief measure of impulsivity that evinces good psychometric properties across a range of offender samples.