Summary
- Major: Psychology
- Faculty Mentor: Dr. Mariann Weierich
- Research Topic: Threat-Related Attention Allocation and Reward Processing in Trauma-Exposed
Individuals
Abstract
Most people will experience a traumatic event at least once in their lifetime. Some develop post traumatic disorder (PTSD) which is characterized by hyperactivity during threat perception (hypervigilance) and hypoactivity of reward processing (anhedonia). The mechanisms that contribute to the development and maintenance of PTSD are still being explored, and the competing forces between reward and threat processing are still unknown. This study will investigate the mechanisms of threat maintenance and avoidance, and interference of threat processing on reward-related decision making. Utilizing a mixed-method approach, threat and reward attention allocation is measured using a freeviewing eye-tracking task and reward decision task, in which rewarding and threatening-related stimuli will be shown. Physiological stress reactivity is measured using saliva samples of cortisol, a stress hormone produced by the HPA-axis and sAA, a sympathetic nervous system biomarker. Symptom severity is hypothesized to increase with greater stress system dysregulation and avoidance of threat over potential reward. Understanding the complex and competing forces between threat and reward in PTSD can help further understanding of the comorbidity between substance abuse disorder and anxiety related disorders.