A-132 Reward Learning Bias and Risky Decision Making Moderation of ADHD Symptom Associations with Emotion Dysregulation

Abstract

Abstract Objective: Risky decision-making that prioritizes immediate gains over high potential losses (risky decision-making) and a heightened responsiveness to reward-based learning (reward bias) reflect individual differences tied to emotion dysregulation (ED) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). However, risky decision-making and reward bias may also potentiate the association between ADHD and ED, which we hypothesize. Method: University students (N = 57) completed measures of inattention, motor-, and verbal-hyperactivity (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale) and goal-, impulsivity-, and emotion regulation strategy implementation-deficits (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale). Risky decision-making and reward bias were measured via the Iowa Gambling Task and the Probalistic Reward Learning task using E-Prime v. 2.0. Results: Inattention symptoms positively correlated with the three DERS subscales (rs = 0.28–0.44,ps < 0.03), reduced reward bias (r = −0.30,p = 0.03), and hyperactivity symptoms (rs = 0.29–0.31,ps < 0.03); no other association involving ADHD indices reached significance. MANOVAs revealed significant three-way interactions between risky decision-making, reward bias and motoric hyperactivity (F = 3.42,p = 0.025) and inattention at a trend level (F = 2.73,p = 0.055). Follow-up ANOVAs (Fs = 6.00–8.45, ps < 0.02) and post-hoc probes revealed that patterns of high reward bias and low risky decision making were consistently linked with ED with increasing motor hyperactivity and inattention symptoms, as was the pattern of low reward bias and high risky decision-making. Conversely, a high reward bias combined with slow risky decision-making reduced the tie between those two ADHD symptoms and ED. Conclusion: Results suggest a nuanced interplay between decision-making, reward bias, and ADHD symptoms in relation to ED, which is consistent with others finding ADHD to be a heterogenous disorder. Clinical implications of the observed individual-differences patterns warrant further investigation.