Language, Psychological Traits and Social Environments in the Discursive Construction of Impulsivity and Control on X

Abstract The study investigated the discursive construction of impulsivity and control on X, addressing a gap in understanding how linguistic choices reflect psychological dispositions and social dynamics in digital communication. The objectives were to examine how language performs impulsivity and control, analyse the psychological and emotional traits embedded in users’ discourse, and explore the influence of social environments on these linguistic behaviours. Drawing on Rapport Management Theory, psycholinguistic profiling, and sentiment analysis, the study adopted a mixed-methods design integrating qualitative discourse analysis with computational text mining. The data comprised public tweets collected from trending controversial and conflict-related topics on X between January and June 2025. From active participants in these discussions, a purposive sample of 5000 English-language tweets was selected based on relevance, interactional richness, and temporal responsiveness. Quantitative analysis employed Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count and Python-based sentiment mapping to track affective and cognitive markers and their relationship with response patterns, while qualitative analysis applied Rapport Management Theory and Discursive Psychology to interpret face management and self-regulatory practices. Findings showed that impulsivity was linguistically realised through spontaneous, emotionally charged, and confrontational utterances, whereas control was enacted through cautious, hedged, and rapport-oriented expressions. Social contexts, including group identity and audience awareness, significantly shaped how impulsivity and control were managed in discourse. Sentiment analysis further indicated that impulsivity aligned with negative affect, while control corresponded with positive engagement and relational harmony. The study concludes that impulsivity and control are socially negotiated constructs enacted through language use in digital spaces.