Reward Sensitivity and Affect After Success: Role of Positive Attribution Bias in Korean Individuals at Risk for Bipolar Disorder

Abstract

The existing literature suggests a behavioral activation system (BAS) dysregulation in bipolar disorder (BD). This study experimentally investigated whether individuals at elevated risk for BD differently react to BAS-activating success situations in terms of affective (prolonged positive affect) and cognitive (positive attribution bias) response. Fifty participants (BD high-risk group n = 28, control group n = 22) were screened from a large Korean undergraduate sample (N = 1,091) by the Hypomanic Personality Scale. After filling out self-report questionnaires, participants completed an ability-based and a chance-based success task with measures of affective, cognitive response to each task. For each task, a standardized fake success feedback was given to all participants. Results indicated that the BD high-risk group showed stronger positive attribution bias to false success feedback, although positive affect did not last longer. Moreover, this positive attribution bias contributed to the elevated level ...