Date of Award

2014

Publication Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

M.A.

Department

Psychology

Keywords

Psychology, Adhd, Antisocial personality disorder, Borderline personality disorder, Callous-unemotional traits, Reinforcement sensitivity theory, Reward sensitivity

Supervisor

Miller, Carlin J.

Rights

info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

Abstract

Reward sensitivity (RS) has been implicated in a range of suboptimal psychological outcomes, including ADHD, antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and callous-unemotional personality traits. Less known, however, is the relation between these constructs and RS in the non-clinical population. The current study investigated the utility of these traits in predicting RS in an undergraduate sample ( N = 225). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses suggested that impulsive ADHD symptoms and relational aggression predicted RS, as measured by two distinct questionnaires ( R 2 adj. = .15 for SPSRQ Sensitivity to Reward [Torrubia, Ávila, Moltó, & Caseras, 2001]; R 2 adj. = .07 for BIS/BAS Scales' BAS total score [Carver & White, 1994]). Overall measures of callous-unemotional traits were not significantly related to RS ( ps = .54 - .95), although subscale-level associations suggested a small, inverse relation between these constructs. These findings highlight the role of RS across the spectrum of impulse control abilities.

Share

COinS