Summit

2024 APS Global Psychological Science Summit · 2024

Early Life Unpredictability Predicts Deficits in Reward Learning in Young Children

Virtual · October 2024

Posters · Lifespan Development

Session: Poster Session - Holding

Authors

Abstract

Preclinical models have shown how environmental unpredictability, including inconsistent caregiver interactions and environmental instability, affects reward learning. In a sample of 89 children, we show that increased entropy in caregiver signaling is associated with deficits in reward learning, suggesting unpredictability may be a early life risk factor for neurodevelopmental differences.

Childhood Adversity