Bentivegna, Francesca; (2025) Antecedents of Reward Processing in Childhood and Adolescence in the General Population. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

Text Francesca_Bentivegna_PhD_Thesis.pdf - Accepted Version Access restricted to UCL open access staff until 1 May 2026. Download (3MB)

Abstract

Adolescence is a critical developmental period characterised by significant changes in reward processing and decision-making. Existing research highlights key mechanisms linked to reward processing but is often limited by cross-sectional designs and clinical samples. In this PhD thesis, I address these gaps by developing an integrated model to explore how psychological factors (mental health, self-regulation) and environmental factors (adverse life events, parenting style) across childhood and adolescence influence reward processing (measured with the Cambridge Gambling Task) in adolescence in a general population sample from the Millennium Cohort Study, a UK birth cohort study. I conducted five studies: two scoping reviews to map the available evidence on mental health problems and self-regulation, and three analytic studies using longitudinal data. First, I investigated the reciprocal associations between mental health problems and reward processing in adolescence (ages 11 and 14). Second, I examined whether trajectories of self-regulation in childhood (ages 3 to 7) predicted reward processing. Finally, I developed an integrated model to assess the mediating role of self-regulation in the relationship between early stressors (age 9 months) and parenting style (age 3) with reward processing. I used structural equation modelling and adjusted all analyses for the relevant covariates. I found evidence of reciprocal associations between mental health problems and reward processing, particularly for hyperactivity/inattention and conduct problems. Moreover, self-regulation was associated with specific reward processing outcomes, with emotional dysregulation playing a prominent role as a mediator in the relationship between parenting style and reward processing in early adolescence, while independence self-regulation was significant for reward processing in mid-adolescence. These findings emphasise the importance of integrated models to provide a comprehensive framework and highlight the developmental significance of self-regulation in shaping reward processing outcomes. They also highlight the need to account for contextual influences, warranting for more holistic approaches to understand these complex dynamics.

Download activity - last month

Export as CSVJSONXML

Download activity - last 12 months

Export as XMLJSONCSV

Downloads by country - last 12 months

Export as JSONCSVXML

Archive Staff Only

View Item