APS
2026 APS Annual Convention · 2026
Selective Reward Devaluation: Fear of Happiness Drives Eating Disorder Severity More Than Anhedonia
- Lydia Eastman
The New School for Social Research - Fel Natalia
The New School for Social Research - Camyrn Calafiore
The New School for Social Research - Amanda Collins
Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School - Sam Winer
The New School for Social Research
Abstract
Fear of happiness (FOH) and anhedonia both predicted eating disorder severity even after controlling for depression, with FOH accounting for more than twice the variance of anhedonia. This suggests that aversion to positivity, not just global disengagement from reward, is independently associated with eating disorder symptoms.
