Psychometric properties and gender invariance for the dickman impulsivity inventory

Impulsivity has been recognized as an important personality trait associated with both positive and negative outcomes. Dickman (1990) identified two main dimensions of the construct (functional and dysfunctional impulsivity) and developed an instrument for their assessment, the Dickman Impulsivity Inventory. In this work the questionnaire was administered to a sample of Italian students and data were analyzed in order to test the psychometric characteristics of the instrument in the Italian context. Reliability was tested through KR-20 and composite reliability coefficients, while validity was verified considering IVE (Impulsiveness, Venturesomeness, and Empathy questionnaire) and EPQ-R (Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised). Factor structure was assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA and CFA), while multiple-group analyses were performed in order to test gender invariance. Results revealed adequate values for reliability and validity coefficients, confirmed the twofactor structure, and supported partial strict invariance. Gender differences, however, were detected on factor means and the factor covariance.