There's a Daily Illuminator “supplement” to Impulse Buys that addresses the flip side of the concept: instead of players spending Impulse Points to gain temporary benefits in play, the GM awards Impulse Points to players who willingly go along with the genre conventions, even to the detriment of their character. The article in question focuses exclusively on expanding the Awarding Bonus Character Points section in Basic Set (pp.498–499); but I think that there's more that could be done with this concept:
Ground Rules[]
These guidelines should be approached primarily with Impulse Points in mind: character points that can only be spent on Impulse Buys, not on character development. This avoids the single biggest danger inherent in handing out too many character points: character inflation. The GM still has final say over whether to give the player a particular IP reward, and is encouraged to use his “ban hammer” if he thinks the player is abusing the system; but it's a lot less abusive when you're dealing with Impulse Points instead of Character Points.
The GM should consider capping rewards to avoid spamming of a particular option: you should probably be using something like Destiny Points or Wildcard Points for this, and the GM may rule that Impulse Points earned in these ways can only be used to refill the associated pools; while they're topped off, no more points can be earned. This can be used to encourage players to spend their Impulse Points more freely, knowing that they'll be able to earn them back in short order and making room to earn them back.
Finally, these rules are not symmetric: as a rule of thumb, it's harder to earn Impulse Points than it is to spend them.
Buying Success[]
Impulse Buys has a section on “Buying Failure” that suggests that if the player considers it beneficial to fail a roll, the can spend points to ensure it. I would invert that here: if failing a roll would cause problems for the character, then if the player voluntarily fails the roll, he gets one Impulse Point. Switching from Critical Success to Success or Failure to Critical Failure can be done, too, but doesn't generate any points.
“Buying Effect” can be inverted: earn one Impulse Point if you choose to go with the minimum possible roll. For instance, a 3d+2 roll can generate one Impulse Point if you choose to inflict 5 points of damage with it. For rolls on tables, you get one Impulse Point if you choose the most problematic outcome.
Player Guidance[]
Inverting Player Guidance means that the player willingly suggests trouble for his character. The IP awards for this reverse the scale provided for beneficial player guidance: complications that fit the scene perfectly (something the GM might have included it he had thought of it first) might be worth two Impulse Points; a believable coincidence or addition that makes things harder on the character is only worth one point; and something that, while plausible, stretches disbelief, isn't worth any points.
“Trading Points for Money” can also be inverted. This generally works as a sort of “karmic balance” type of thing: engage in philanthropy, and good things will come your way. To avoid abuse, rich characters should have to spend 10% of their starting wealth, rather than the campaign's starting wealth, to get one Impulse Point. Poor characters still base their rewards off of the campaign's starting wealth.
Survival[]
The inversion of Deflecting Disadvantages would be a willing sacrifice: if the player knowingly puts his character in a position that would saddle his character with permanent Disadvantages that would reduce his point value and possibly destroy his character concept, but does so in service to the character's goals rather than out of idiocy, the GM might reward the player with character points equal to the resulting reduction in the character's point total. If the player sacrifices the character's life, he gets 25 character points (or 50, if the GM charges double for impromptu Extra Lives).
Basically, award the player with enough character points to undo his sacrifice, should he choose to; but don't limit him to spending them in that manner. In particular, the player who sacrificed his character's life gets to continue participating in the session through the ability to use those 25 character points on Impulse Buys on behalf of his comrades. And when it's time to make his next character, he gets the unspent points from this Award on top of the normal budget.
Amazing Feats[]
“Points for Energy” can be inverted in the same way that “Points for Cash” is, as one way to convert an Impulse Buy directly into a magical effect.
“Impulse Point Generating Disadvantages”: normally, “Impulse Awards” don't apply to Disadvantages: you cannot earn an Impulse Point by voluntarily failing your Curiosity Self-Control roll, for example. However: if you're willing to forego the initial value of the Disadvantage, you can be exempt. Disadvantages that generate Impulse Rewards are converted into Features: the downsides of having them (what normally qualifies them as Disadvantages) are offset by the Impulse Awards they grant. That Award normally works the same way as the inverted Player Guidance: one point normally; two points if the GM feels that it's especially problematic for your character; and nothing if GM feels that it didn't really inconvenience you. The GM might opt to grant even larger Awards if the Disadvantage causes particularly severe problems for you; say, double the Award for Disadvantages that would normally be worth 25 or more points; triple it for Disadvantages that would normally be worth 50 or more points; quadruple for 75 or more points; and so on.
This should be judged before Self-Control or Frequency of Appearance is factored in. In addition, you don't get an Impulse Award from these rolls.