An Exploration into the Relevance of Dickman's Functional and Dysfunctional Impulsivity Dichotomy for Understanding ADHD-type behaviours

The importance of understanding the role of impulsivity as a central facet of Attention Deficit with Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been documented by a number of researchers (e.g. DuPaul, 1991; Wilding, 2005). Dickman (1990) separated impulsivity into two separate domains: functional and dysfunctional. These concepts related to both the consequences of the behavior, but more importantly their cognitive origins; the former being associated with rapid information processing speed and the latter the susceptibility to interference during decision making processes. Two studies were conducted to investigate this relationship; the first utilized 60 undergraduate students and the second included 40 school aged children. Both samples provided support for Dickman's dichotomy, with individuals with ADHD (diagnosed and selfreport) both displaying strong correlations with dysfunctional impulsivity.