Punishment sensitivity and risk taking in depressed mood

Abstract

Individuals with high levels of depressive symptoms find rewards to be less reinforcing and punishment more aversive, which may lead them to avoid risk taking. To examine the relation between risk taking and depressive symptoms, undergraduate participants (N = 138) completed the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), which effectively measures affective risk taking. Participants’ goal was to maximize the virtual money earned from the task by completing trials that ended in either a reward (i.e., gain in virtual money) or a punishment (i.e., loss of virtual money and premature end to the trial). Higher (vs. lower) levels of depressive symptoms were associated with more pumps (i.e., greater risk taking) after a reward; higher levels of depressive symptoms were associated with fewer pumps following a punishment than a reward (i.e., greater punishment sensitivity). Greater punishment sensitivity (i.e., lower risk-taking following setbacks) in individuals with higher levels of depressive symptoms may contribute to the maintenance of depressed mood by limiting rewarding experiences that could elevate their mood. The findings should be replicated in a clinical sample.