Effort and Delay-Based Decision Making in Adolescents with ADHD: A Computational Approach Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

Adolescence is a key developmental period for goal-directed behavior, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been linked to altered goal-directed decision-making patterns. This exploratory study examined the association between processes underlying effort-based choice and delay discounting in adolescents with and without a diagnosis of ADHD. Findings on the association between delay discounting and effort-based choice are currently mixed, with some studies suggesting an overlap between effort and delay discounting, and others supporting that delay and effort are dissociable valuation processes (Bialaszek et al., 2019; Klein-Flügge et al., 2015). The majority of existing studies are limited by relatively small samples, which may contribute to these mixed findings. Extending this literature, the present study analyzed data collected from 339 adolescents (ages 13-18) who completed delay discounting measures and an effort-based decision-making task. Analyses indicated that effort cost sensitivity and delay discounting were not significantly associated with each other or with ADHD symptom severity. However, effort allocation strategy, as indicated by exploratory analyses of computational model fits, was significantly associated with ADHD symptom severity, such that greater symptoms were associated with less consistent utilization of reward and probability information. These effects remained when controlling for age, gender, and estimated IQ. Taken together, these results identified altered patterns of effort allocation in adolescents with ADHD.

Table of Contents

Introduction....................................................................................................................................1

Materials and Methods...................................................................................................................9 Results...........................................................................................................................................15 Discussion.....................................................................................................................................25 References.....................................................................................................................................30 

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Psychology
Subfield / Discipline	Cognitive and Computational Science
Degree	B.S.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Psychology, Developmental Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Cognitive
Keyword	inattention hyperactivity computational modeling symptom severity impulsivity decision strategy effort-based decision making ADHD delay discounting adolescence
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Treadway, Michael, Emory University
Committee Members	Kim, Elizabeth, Emory University Argueta, Tracy, Emory University

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