Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0009-0006-5900-1819

Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

PhD

College

Eberly College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Mariya Cherkasova

Committee Member

Michelle Roley-Roberts

Committee Member

Nicholas Turiano

Committee Member

James W. Lewis

Abstract

Both animal and human research has identified early life adversity (ELA) as a prominent risk factor for substance use disorder (SUD). However, the underlying mechanisms linking ELA to SUD development remain unclear. Animal studies point to differences in reward responsiveness as the primary explanation; specifically, that ELA could lead to individual differences in the attribution of incentive salience to reward-predictive cues, or the “sign-tracking” behavioral phenotype. Sign-tracking has been linked to addiction-related behaviors in both animal and human studies, but no human studies have examined whether sign-tracking could partially explain the link between ELA and SUD. In fact, human studies more readily point to deficits in associative learning as the primary link between ELA to SUD development. One explanation for the discrepancy between animal and human findings could be the use of primary (e.g., food) versus secondary (e.g., money) rewards in animal and human studies, respectively. Therefore, the current study recruited participants with varying levels of ELA and exposed them to reward-learning tasks utilizing both primary (i.e., erotica) and secondary (i.e., money) rewards while collecting eye-tracking and EEG data. Propensity to sign-track was quantified through gaze fixation data in a Pavlovian conditioning task using erotic and monetary rewards. The results did not support associative learning deficits in individuals with ELA, providing instead possible evidence of enhanced associative learning. The study also did not produce convincing evidence of associations between ELA and sign-tracking. However, it pointed to differences in measures of sign-tracking using primary (i.e. erotic) versus secondary (i.e. monetary) rewards. As expected, ELA was associated with substance use, perceived stress, sexual shame, and psychopathology. The present study acted as an important trailblazer for the use of primary rewards in research on reward reactivity and associative learning in human participants with ELA. Ultimately, knowledge gained from such research could be applied to the understanding of addiction development, particularly in this vulnerable population, and could aid in prevention measures and treatment approaches.

Download

Included in

Psychology Commons

Share

COinS