Of course, there are many questions yet to be answered that could shed further light on the value of our proposal. Does urgency operate in controlled, laboratory settings in ways predicted by our theory? Studies that manipulate emotional experiences for individuals high and low in negative and positive urgency might provide useful tests of whether high-urgency individuals do engage in more rash action when experiencing intense emotions. Is it true, as we have suggested, that adolescence is characterized by a developmentally limited increase in urgency? Do high levels of urgency retard the development of effective coping strategies? At what age can individual differences in the trait of urgency, as distinct from temperament, be identified? There are many such questions. Pending their answer, we believe that identification of the traits of positive and negative urgency helps clarify the personality connection between emotionality and rash action, and provides theoretically and clinically useful information for understanding reasons why individuals engage in risky, potentially harmful behaviors.
