Hedonic Capacity Influences Motivated Behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Undergraduates: Jasmine Shah, N/a Maya Mosner, Rachel Greene Dr. Jessica Kinard, Sean McWeeny, Dr. Cara Damiano-Goodwin, Dr. Margaret Burchinal, Dr. Helena Rutherford, Dr. Michael Treadway, Dr. Gabriel Dichter N/a

Faculty Advisor: Gabriel Dichter
Department: Psychology & Neuroscience

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The Effort-Expenditure for Rewards Task (EEfRT) has shown altered reward processing in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Since MDD is highly comorbid in ASD, we aimed to explore the relation of depressive symptoms and hedonic capacity with motivated behavior in high-functioning adolescents with ASD. For each EEfRT trial, participants chose either an ¿¿¿easy task¿¿¿ which would yield small, constant monetary reward, or a ¿¿¿hard task¿¿¿ for a variable, yet consistently larger reward. Each choice was presented with a low, medium, or high probability of winning the reward if the task was successfully completed. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Child Depression Inventory (CDI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Hedonic capacity was measured using the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale (TEPS). For a sample of 49 adolescents, correlations between the CDI/BDI composite score and the anticipatory subscale of the TEPS and all EEfRT metrics were insignificant. There were significant correlations between the consummatory subscale of the TEPS and EEfRT choices in the high reward probability, medium reward magnitude, and low reward magnitude conditions. They remained significant when controlling for severity of ASD symptoms. This suggests hedonic capacity is related to motivated behaviors in adolescents with ASD. Future studies addressing reward processing in ASD should consider hedonic capacity as an important explanatory variable.