in a condition like obsessive-compulsive disorder, borderline personality disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. The ability to control impulses, or more specifically control the desire to act on them, is an important factor in personality and socialization. Deferred gratification, also known as impulse control is an example of this, concerning impulses primarily relating to things that a person wants or desires. Delayed gratification comes when one avoids acting on initial impulses. Delayed gratification has been studied in relation to childhood obesity. Resisting the urge to act on impulses is important to teach children, because it teaches the value of delayed gratification. The five traits that can lead to impulsive actions For many years it was understood that impulsivity is a trait but with further analysis it can be found that there were five traits that can lead to impulsive actions: positive urgency, negative urgency, sensation seeking, lack of planning, and lack of perseverance. Associated behavioral and societal problems Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a multiple component disorder involving inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) breaks ADHD into three subtypes according to the behavioral symptoms: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Predominantly Inattentive Type, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type, and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Combined Type. Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive type symptoms may include fidgeting and squirming in seats, talking nonstop, dashing around and touching or playing with anything in sight, having trouble sitting still during dinner/school/story time, being constantly in motion, and having difficulty doing quiet tasks or activities. Other manifestations primarily of impulsivity include being very impatient, having difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games, often interrupting conversations or others' activities, or blurting out inappropriate comments, showing their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences. Prevalence of the disorder worldwide is estimated to be between 4% and 10%, with reports as low as 2.2% and as high as 17.8%. Variation in rate of diagnoses may be attributed to differences between populations (i.e. culture), and differences in diagnostic methodologies. Prevalence of ADHD among females is less than half that of males, and females more commonly fall into the inattentive subtype. Despite an upward trend in diagnoses of the inattentive subtype of ADHD, impulsivity is commonly considered to be the central feature of ADHD, and the impulsive and combined subtypes are the major contributors to the societal