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Social and Nonsocial Reward Anticipation in Typical Development and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Current Status and Future Directions

  • Autism Spectrum Disorders (ES Brodkin, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

While there has been sustained interest in understanding the role of reward processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), researchers are just beginning to focus on the anticipation phase of reward processing in this population. This review aimed to briefly summarize recent advancements in functional imaging studies of anticipatory social and nonsocial reward processing in individuals with and without ASD and provide suggestions for avenues of future research.

Recent Findings

Reward salience and activation of the complex network of brain regions supporting reward anticipation vary across development and by important demographic characteristics, such as sex assigned at birth. Current research comparing social and nonsocial reward anticipation may possess confounds related to the mismatch in tangibility and salience of social and nonsocial experimental stimuli. Growing evidence suggests individuals with ASD demonstrate aberrant generalized reward anticipation that is not specific to social reward.

Summary

Future research should carefully match social and nonsocial reward stimuli and consider employing a longitudinal design to disentangle the complex processes contributing to the development of reward anticipation. It may be useful to conceptualize differences in reward anticipation as a transdiagnostic factor, rather than an ASD-specific deficit.

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Notes

  1. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder use a range of terms to self-identify. Therefore, we use both person-first and identity-first language in this review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA

    Cara M. Keifer, Talena C. Day, Kathryn M. Hauschild & Matthew D. Lerner

  2. Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    Cara M. Keifer

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  1. Cara M. Keifer
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  2. Talena C. Day
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Correspondence to Cara M. Keifer or Matthew D. Lerner.

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Keifer, C.M., Day, T.C., Hauschild, K.M. et al. Social and Nonsocial Reward Anticipation in Typical Development and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Current Status and Future Directions. Curr Psychiatry Rep 23, 32 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-021-01247-7

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