Cognitive Effort as a Compensatory Mechanism for Motor Control in Impulsivity

Abstract

Impulsivity, although commonly associated with maladaptive behavior, can influence how individuals manage cognitive and motor demands. This study analyzed the effect of impulsivity on motor control and cognitive effort during manual aiming tasks that varied in cognitive load. From an initial sample of 109 volunteers, a final sample of 63 right-handed adults was classified as high or low impulsive based on Brazilian Portuguese version of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 scores. Participants performed two aiming task conditions with different execution demands, while electroencephalographic workload and engagement indices were recorded to assess cognitive effort. Motor performance was evaluated through accuracy, temporal, kinematic, and inhibitory control measures. Results showed similar motor performance and kinematic patterns between groups. However, the high impulsive group consistently exhibited higher workload indices across both task conditions and made more response inhibition errors under high execution demand. These findings suggest that highly impulsive individuals mobilize greater cognitive resources to sustain motor performance comparable to that of less impulsive individuals. This compensatory increase in effort highlights the interaction between personality traits, cognitive control, and motor behavior.