Are personality and behavioral measures of impulse control convergent or distinct predictors of health behaviors?

Both traditional personality measures of impulse control and behavioral measures of impulse control have been shown to predict health behaviors. Despite a strong conceptual overlap between these two approaches to measuring impulse control, it is unclear how these two modes of measurement converge. We tested three different models relating behavioral and personality measures to a broad measure of health behaviors. Participants (N = 147) completed a series of behavioral measures of impulse control along with a lexically-based adjective checklist for conscientiousness, and Eysenck’s I7 impulsiveness scale. Participants’ personalities were also evaluated via peer-ratings. Health behaviors were assessed using the health behaviors checklist (HBC). Across most domains of health behaviors both types of measures operated as parallel independent predictors.