Social Reward Questionnaire-Adolescent Version and its association with callous-unemotional traits.

Lucy Foulkes,Essi Viding,Ruth Roberts,Eamon Mccrory,Craig S Neumann

doi:10.1098/rsos.160991

Lucy Foulkes, Essi Viding + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.160991

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Abstract

During adolescence, social interactions are a potent source of reward. However, no measure of social reward value exists for this age group. In this study, we adapted the adult Social Reward Questionnaire, which we had previously developed and validated, for use with adolescents. Participants aged 11–16 (n = 568; 50% male) completed the Social Reward Questionnaire—Adolescent Version (SRQ-A), alongside measures of personality traits—five-factor model (FFM) and callous–unemotional (CU) traits—for construct validity purposes. A confirmatory factor analysis of the SRQ-A supported a five-factor structure (Comparative Fit Index = 0.90; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation = 0.07), equating to five questionnaire subscales: enjoyment of Admiration, Negative Social Potency, Passivity, Prosocial Interactions and Sociability. Associations with FFM and CU traits were in line with what is seen for adult samples, providing support for the meaning of SRQ-A subscales in adolescents. In particular, adolescents with high levels of CU traits showed an ‘inverted’ pattern of social reward, in which being cruel is enjoyable and being kind is not. Gender invariance was also assessed and was partially supported. The SRQ-A is a valid, reliable measure of individual differences in social reward in adolescents.

Highlights

Adolescence describes the period of transition between childhood and adulthood when individuals undergo considerable psychological and physical change [1]
The five-factor model (FFM) based on the adult version of the questionnaire achieved good fit using the data from the total sample of adolescents (χ(2160) = 659.69, p < 0.001; Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.90; Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) = 0.07, 90% CI = 0.07–0.08)
Low levels of prosocial behaviour and affiliation are well documented in descriptions of those with high levels of CU traits, the findings presented here are some of the first to examine why this behaviour is reduced in these individuals

Summary

Introduction

Adolescence describes the period of transition between childhood and adulthood when individuals undergo considerable psychological and physical change [1]. Behaviour change dramatically in this period, underpinned by the rapid development of the 2 ‘social brain’, the network of brain areas involved in social information processing During adolescence there is rapid development of the brain’s dopaminergic system, which processes rewarding stimuli [5,6]. The neural changes in social and reward processing networks mean that adolescents may find social interactions motivating and influential, which can lead to more risky behaviour in the presence of peers Understanding social reward processing in adolescents is critical for understanding social behaviour and well-being in this age group

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