Impulsivity and decision making in alcohol-addicted individuals [Impulsywno a podejmowanie decyzji u osób uzale nionych od alkoholu]

Decision making processes are the research problem, that has been increasingly undertaken. Alcohol addiction is a disease associated with unfavorable decision making, in spite of its negative consequences. Impulsivity plays an important role in alcoholics’ decision making. It can be understood in terms of behavioral and/or cognitive flexibility disorders, that manifest in cognitive function disorders, making it difficult or even impossible to quickly and adequately assess the situation and to adjust behavior according to its requirements. Neurobiological and genetic research indicate the existing relationship between impulsivity and certain genetic predisposition. In alcohol addicts, impulsivity can be understood also in terms of specific personality traits, e.g. novelty seeking according to the theory of Cloninger. Although the concept of impulsivity itself has been the main topic of many studies, not many of them concern also decision making processes. In studies concerning alcoholics’ decision making, the relationship between this processes and behavioral impulsivity defined in many different ways, has been noticed. Some of these works define unfavorable decision making processes itself as a feature of impulsivity. Based on the results of theoretical works and research studies, it seems that it would be worth to define more precisely the concept of impulsivity, in order to determine its effect on decision making. The assessment of whether - and to what extent - the two variables (impulsivity and decision making) can be considered as separate should also be taken into account.