In 3 studies, the authors developed and began to validate a measure of the propensity to act rashly in response to positive affective states (positive urgency). In Study 1, they developed a content-valid 14-item scale, showed that the measure was unidimensional, and showed that positive urgency was distinct from impulsivity-like constructs…

An increasing number of young black males are over-represented among youth who are involved in homicides, accidents, and suicides. This is being called the "new morbidity," a term coined to describe the interrelationship of self-destructive and life-threatening behaviors particularly applicable to African American males. The new…