Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree

M.A.

Degree Name

Master of Arts (M.A.)

Degree Granting Department

Psychology

Major Professor

Peter E. Clayson, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Max Owens, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jonathan Rottenberg, Ph.D.

Keywords

anhedonia, effort justification, reward discounting, reward processing

Abstract

Emerging evidence suggests that distinct stages of reward processing uniquely contribute to psychological traits linked to anhedonia, a core mood-disorder symptom characterized by diminished enjoyment of pleasure. However, the relationship between reward-processing stages and dispositional traits related to mood and anhedonia remains unclear. The present study investigated interindividual reward processing differences in a healthy college sample (n = 83) using self-report measures and event-related brain potentials (ERPs) indexing anticipatory and consummatory subprocesses across high- and low-effort conditions using a recently developed effort-doors task. The goal of the study was first to replicate the original ERP experimental effects of the task and second to expand our understanding of the temporal-dynamics of reward processing by incorporating mood-related traits as predictors using an incremental model comparison approach. Consistent with the original effort-doors study, P3 component in response to an effort-termination cue (cue-P3) was greater following high effort, and feedback stimulus preceding negativity (SPN) was larger following low effort. Unlike the original study, Reward Positivity (RewP) scores reflected effort-related reward discounting, consistent with Expected Value of Control (EVC) theory, while feedback-P3 yielded no statistically significant experimental effects. In terms of self-report measures, anticipatory pleasure (TEPS-AP) negatively correlated with RewP, suggesting reduced feedback engagement in those with greater reward anticipation, and cue-P3 negatively correlating with depressive symptoms, indicating heightened salience of effort in those with mood-related traits. These findings provide evidence for EVC-like reward discounting in ERPs and interindividual differences tied to reward anticipation and mood.

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