Numerous studies have shown that problem gambling is characterised by lack of impulse control. However,
they have often been conducted without considering the multifaceted nature of impulsivity and related psychological
mechanisms. The current study aims to disentangle which impulsivity facets are altered in pathological
gambling. Twenty treatment-seeking pathological gamblers (PGs) and 20 matched control
participants completed a self-reported questionnaire measuring the various facets of impulsive behaviours
(UPPS Impulsive Behaviour Scale), as well as two laboratory tasks assessing inhibitory control (the go-stop
task) and tolerance for delayed rewards (single key impulsivity paradigm). Compared with matched controls,
PGs exhibited higher urgency, lower premeditation, impairment in prepotent inhibition, and lower tolerance
towards delayed rewards. Nevertheless, complementary profile analyses showed that impulsivity-related
deficits found in PGs are highly heterogeneous, and that some PGs are neither impulsive in the impulsivity
facets assessed nor impaired in the cognitive mechanisms measured. These findings underscore first, the necessity
to disentangle the construct of impulsivity into lower-order components and second, that further
studies should take into account, in addition to impulsivity-related mechanisms, other psychological factors
potentially involved in pathological gambling.