Conduct disorder is associated with heightened action initiation and reduced learning from punishment but not reward

Ruth  Pauli; Inti A. Brazil; Gregor Kohls; Tobias U. Hauser; Lisa Gistelinck; Graeme Fairchild; Aranzazu Fernandez-Rivas; Beate  Herpertz-Dahlmann; Amaia  Hervás; Kerstin Konrad; Arne  Popma; Christina Stadler; Christine M. Freitag; Stephane A. De Brito; Patricia L. Lockwood

doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.03.005

Conduct disorder is associated with heightened action initiation and reduced learning from punishment but not reward

Ruth Pauli, Inti A. Brazil, Gregor Kohls, Tobias U. Hauser, Lisa Gistelinck, Graeme Fairchild, Aranzazu Fernandez-Rivas, Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann, Amaia Hervás, Kerstin Konrad, Arne Popma, Christina Stadler, Christine M. Freitag, Stephane A. De Brito, Patricia L. Lockwood

Department of Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Background
Theoretical and empirical accounts of conduct disorder (CD) suggest problems with reinforcement learning as well as heightened impulsivity. These two facets can manifest in similar behaviour, such as risk-taking. Computational models that can dissociate learning from impulsively initiating actions are essential for understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying CD.

Methods
A large, international sample of youths from 11 European countries (N = 1418, typically developing (TD) n = 742, CD n = 676) completed a learning task. We used computational modelling to disentangle reward and punishment learning from action initiation.

Results
Punishment learning rates were significantly reduced in youths with CD compared to their TD peers, suggesting that they did not update their actions based on punishment outcomes as strongly. Intriguingly, those with CD also had a greater tendency to initiate actions regardless of outcomes, although their ability to learn from reward was comparable to their TD peers. We additionally observed that variability in action initiation correlated with self-reported impulsivity in youths with CD.

Conclusions
These findings provide empirical support for a reduced ability to learn from punishment in CD, while reward learning is typical. Our results also suggest that behaviours appearing superficially to reflect reward learning differences could reflect heightened impulsive action initiation instead. Such asymmetric learning from reward and punishment, with increased action initiation, could have important implications for tailoring learning-based interventions to help those with CD.

Original language	English
Journal	Biological Psychiatry
Early online date	14 Mar 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.03.005
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 14 Mar 2025

Funding

R.P was supported by an Economic and Social Research Council post-doctoral fellowship award (ES/V011324/1). This work was also supported by a Medical Research Council Fellowship (MR/P014097/2), a Jacobs Foundation Research Fellowship, a Leverhulme Prize (PLP-2021-196), a Wellcome Trust/Royal society Sir Henry Dale Fellowship (223264/Z/21/Z) and a UKRI EPSRC Frontiers Research Guarantee/ERC Starting Grant (EP/X020215/1) to P. L. Lockwood. G.K was supported by a 2023 NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF; Grant No. 30849). During the writing of this manuscript, SADB was supported by a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (grant ES/V003526/1). TUH was supported by a Sir Henry Dale Fellowship (211155/Z/18/Z; 211155/Z/18/B; 224051/Z/21) from Wellcome Trust and The Royal Society. TUH is also supported by the Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung. The FemNat-CD consortium was funded by the European Commission under the 7th Framework Health Program, Grant Agreement no. 602407. GF was supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council (MR/T002816/1).

Funders	Funder number
Economic and Social Research Council	ES/V011324/1, ES/V003526/1
Medical Research Council	MR/P014097/2 , MR/T002816/1
UK Research & Innovation	EP/X020215/1

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Pauli, R., Brazil, I. A., Kohls, G., Hauser, T. U., Gistelinck, L., Fairchild, G., Fernandez-Rivas, A., Herpertz-Dahlmann, B., Hervás, A., Konrad, K., Popma, A., Stadler, C., Freitag, C. M., De Brito, S. A., & Lockwood, P. L. (2025). Conduct disorder is associated with heightened action initiation and reduced learning from punishment but not reward. Biological Psychiatry. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.03.005

Pauli, R, Brazil, IA, Kohls, G, Hauser, TU, Gistelinck, L, Fairchild, G, Fernandez-Rivas, A, Herpertz-Dahlmann, B, Hervás, A, Konrad, K, Popma, A, Stadler, C, Freitag, CM, De Brito, SA & Lockwood, PL 2025, 'Conduct disorder is associated with heightened action initiation and reduced learning from punishment but not reward', Biological Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.03.005

@article{eaa5ff2746644230b96963d8369c679e,

title = "Conduct disorder is associated with heightened action initiation and reduced learning from punishment but not reward",

abstract = "BackgroundTheoretical and empirical accounts of conduct disorder (CD) suggest problems with reinforcement learning as well as heightened impulsivity. These two facets can manifest in similar behaviour, such as risk-taking. Computational models that can dissociate learning from impulsively initiating actions are essential for understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying CD. MethodsA large, international sample of youths from 11 European countries (N = 1418, typically developing (TD) n = 742, CD n = 676) completed a learning task. We used computational modelling to disentangle reward and punishment learning from action initiation. ResultsPunishment learning rates were significantly reduced in youths with CD compared to their TD peers, suggesting that they did not update their actions based on punishment outcomes as strongly. Intriguingly, those with CD also had a greater tendency to initiate actions regardless of outcomes, although their ability to learn from reward was comparable to their TD peers. We additionally observed that variability in action initiation correlated with self-reported impulsivity in youths with CD. ConclusionsThese findings provide empirical support for a reduced ability to learn from punishment in CD, while reward learning is typical. Our results also suggest that behaviours appearing superficially to reflect reward learning differences could reflect heightened impulsive action initiation instead. Such asymmetric learning from reward and punishment, with increased action initiation, could have important implications for tailoring learning-based interventions to help those with CD.",

author = "Ruth Pauli and Brazil, {Inti A.} and Gregor Kohls and Hauser, {Tobias U.} and Lisa Gistelinck and Graeme Fairchild and Aranzazu Fernandez-Rivas and Beate Herpertz-Dahlmann and Amaia Herv{\'a}s and Kerstin Konrad and Arne Popma and Christina Stadler and Freitag, {Christine M.} and {De Brito}, {Stephane A.} and Lockwood, {Patricia L.}",

year = "2025",

month = mar,

day = "14",

doi = "10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.03.005",

language = "English",

journal = "Biological Psychiatry",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Conduct disorder is associated with heightened action initiation and reduced learning from punishment but not reward

AU - Pauli, Ruth

AU - Brazil, Inti A.

AU - Kohls, Gregor

AU - Hauser, Tobias U.

AU - Gistelinck, Lisa

AU - Fairchild, Graeme

AU - Fernandez-Rivas, Aranzazu

AU - Herpertz-Dahlmann, Beate

AU - Hervás, Amaia

AU - Konrad, Kerstin

AU - Popma, Arne

AU - Stadler, Christina

AU - Freitag, Christine M.

AU - De Brito, Stephane A.

AU - Lockwood, Patricia L.

PY - 2025/3/14

Y1 - 2025/3/14

N2 - BackgroundTheoretical and empirical accounts of conduct disorder (CD) suggest problems with reinforcement learning as well as heightened impulsivity. These two facets can manifest in similar behaviour, such as risk-taking. Computational models that can dissociate learning from impulsively initiating actions are essential for understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying CD. MethodsA large, international sample of youths from 11 European countries (N = 1418, typically developing (TD) n = 742, CD n = 676) completed a learning task. We used computational modelling to disentangle reward and punishment learning from action initiation. ResultsPunishment learning rates were significantly reduced in youths with CD compared to their TD peers, suggesting that they did not update their actions based on punishment outcomes as strongly. Intriguingly, those with CD also had a greater tendency to initiate actions regardless of outcomes, although their ability to learn from reward was comparable to their TD peers. We additionally observed that variability in action initiation correlated with self-reported impulsivity in youths with CD. ConclusionsThese findings provide empirical support for a reduced ability to learn from punishment in CD, while reward learning is typical. Our results also suggest that behaviours appearing superficially to reflect reward learning differences could reflect heightened impulsive action initiation instead. Such asymmetric learning from reward and punishment, with increased action initiation, could have important implications for tailoring learning-based interventions to help those with CD.

AB - BackgroundTheoretical and empirical accounts of conduct disorder (CD) suggest problems with reinforcement learning as well as heightened impulsivity. These two facets can manifest in similar behaviour, such as risk-taking. Computational models that can dissociate learning from impulsively initiating actions are essential for understanding the cognitive mechanisms underlying CD. MethodsA large, international sample of youths from 11 European countries (N = 1418, typically developing (TD) n = 742, CD n = 676) completed a learning task. We used computational modelling to disentangle reward and punishment learning from action initiation. ResultsPunishment learning rates were significantly reduced in youths with CD compared to their TD peers, suggesting that they did not update their actions based on punishment outcomes as strongly. Intriguingly, those with CD also had a greater tendency to initiate actions regardless of outcomes, although their ability to learn from reward was comparable to their TD peers. We additionally observed that variability in action initiation correlated with self-reported impulsivity in youths with CD. ConclusionsThese findings provide empirical support for a reduced ability to learn from punishment in CD, while reward learning is typical. Our results also suggest that behaviours appearing superficially to reflect reward learning differences could reflect heightened impulsive action initiation instead. Such asymmetric learning from reward and punishment, with increased action initiation, could have important implications for tailoring learning-based interventions to help those with CD.

U2 - 10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.03.005

DO - 10.1016/j.biopsych.2025.03.005

M3 - Article

SN - 0006-3223

JO - Biological Psychiatry

JF - Biological Psychiatry

ER -

Conduct disorder is associated with heightened action initiation and reduced learning from punishment but not reward

Abstract

Funding

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