Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Decision Making01:20

Decision Making

Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive process that involves evaluating alternatives and selecting among them. This process can range from simple choices, such as deciding what to wear, to complex decisions, like choosing a major in college or a career path. The complexity of the decision often dictates the approach we use, which can be broadly categorized into two types: automatic and controlled decision-making.
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia01:27

Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia

Depressive disorders are a group of mental health conditions characterized by pervasive feelings of sadness, diminished pleasure in life, and a significant impact on daily functioning. These conditions are most prevalent in individuals during their 30s and affect women at twice the rate of men. Contrary to popular belief, younger individuals are generally more susceptible to these disorders than older adults. Two key types of depressive disorders include Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and...
Depressive Disorders: Etiology01:27

Depressive Disorders: Etiology

Depressive disorders result from a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors, each contributing uniquely to the development and persistence of the condition. Understanding these factors provides critical insight into the multifaceted nature of depression.
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.
Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects01:29

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

Self-discrepancy theory explains how people compare their actual self to their ideal and ought selves and how mismatches between these self-guides can lead to emotional distress. Developed by E. Tory Higgins, the theory distinguishes among three components of self-concept: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. These refer respectively to how individuals perceive themselves, how they aspire to be, and how they believe they are obligated to be. Emotional well-being, self-esteem,...
Depression: Overview01:18

Depression: Overview

Depression is a prevalent mental illness marked by persistent sadness and lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities. It can take several forms, including major depression, persistent depressive disorder, and bipolar I and II disorders. Symptoms range from emotional changes like chronic worry to physical changes like sleep disturbances and suicidal thoughts. From a neurobiological perspective, depression is believed to be triggered by abnormalities in the brain's prefrontal cortex,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Patterns of shared and differential neural activity in misophonia and non-misophonic clinical emotional dysregulation.

BMC psychiatry·2026
Same author

Toward an Empirically and Theoretically Anchored Biopsychosocial Model of Misophonia: Sensory Sensitivity and the Extended Process Model of Emotion Regulation.

Clinical psychology & psychotherapy·2026
Same author

Hope, cancer-related goal interference, and quality of life among caregivers of people receiving treatment for metastatic cancer.

Journal of psychosocial oncology·2026
Same author

Parent and Caregiver Perspectives: The Lived Experience of Raising a Child with Misophonia.

Child psychiatry and human development·2026
Same author

Real-time emotional responses to trigger sounds in misophonia: An ecological momentary assessment study.

Journal of affective disorders·2026
Same author

Treatment modifiers of interpersonal functioning in psychotherapy for people with borderline personality disorder: Systematic review with meta-analyses of individual participant data.

Clinical psychology review·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 6, 2026

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats
07:57

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

Published on: February 22, 2018

Decision-making and risk aversion among depressive adults.

Moria J Smoski1, Thomas R Lynch, M Zachary Rosenthal

  • 1Duke University Medical Center, DUMC Box 3026, Durham, NC 27710, USA. moria.smoski@duke.edu

Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
|March 18, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Individuals with depression exhibit enhanced decision-making and risk aversion. This study found depressive participants performed better on a risk-avoidance task, suggesting improved feedback processing and cautious choices in decision-making.

More Related Videos

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
08:42

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Published on: May 19, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 6, 2026

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats
07:57

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats

Published on: February 22, 2018

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression
08:42

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Published on: May 19, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Depression is linked to avoiding rewarding situations.
  • Understanding decision-making in depression is crucial for treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate decision-making and risk aversion in individuals with depression.
  • To compare the learning of risk avoidance between depressive and control groups.

Main Methods:

  • Administered the Iowa Gambling Task to 41 participants with depression and 44 controls.
  • Assessed the ability to choose low-risk, low-reward options over high-risk, high-reward options.

Main Results:

  • Depressive participants showed better overall performance and a trend towards higher earnings.
  • No significant interaction between depressive status and learning time was observed.
  • Findings suggest enhanced feedback-based decision-making in depression.

Conclusions:

  • Depressive individuals demonstrate heightened risk aversion.
  • Enhanced feedback processing may contribute to decision-making differences in depression.