Pavlovian bias is associated with symptom severity but not diagnostic status in individuals with both anxious and non-anxious depression.

ABSTRACT: Human decision-making favors approach behavior to gain reward and avoidance behavior to prevent punishment. While adaptive in some cases, this Pavlovian bias can also interfere with instrumental motivation, leading to suboptimal decisions. As maladaptive avoidance is a known maintenance factor in anxiety and depression, this could be especially relevant to individuals with these disorders. To assess whether Pavlovian bias is altered in this population, we examined 106 healthy comparisons (HCs), 88 individuals with depression (Dep), and 184 with comorbid anxiety and depression (AnxDep) using an Orthogonalized Go/No-Go Task. Participants' choices and reaction times were modeled using a reinforcement learning and drift diffusion model (RL-DDM). As expected, results showed that accuracy was hi

SUBMITTER: Goldman CM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12534438 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature