Are impulsivity and intelligence truly related constructs? Evidence based on the fixed-links model

Based on the statistical decomposition of the variance in the Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM), the present study attempted to examine whether impulsivity relates to a purified measure of intelligence or is more related to systematic method variance associated with the item-position effect in the measurement of intelligence. A sample of 232 undergraduates was administered the APM, the UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11). The results showed that impulsivity, measured by either the UPPS-P or the BIS-11, was significantly related only to the position-specific component of the APM. These results suggest that the relationship between impulsivity and intelligence is a spurious relationship due to the use of similar items in the assessment of intelligence.