Reward sensitivity plays a role in youth crime

Delinquent boys Boys who associate with delinquent friends are more likely to display antisocial behavior. A new study by neuroscientists and behavior experts from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Amsterdam UMC shows that this association is stronger in boys with an increased sensitivity to reward. For the first time, a scientific study on antisocial behavior has demonstrated an interaction effect between a brain mechanism, measured with functional MRI scans, and an environmental factor. The researchers, led by Jorim Tielbeek, specifically focused on at-risk youth (youth who have come into contact with the police before the age of 12), with an average age of 18 during the study period. The results of the research were published today in the prestigious scientific journal Psychological Medicine. The researchers show that the connection between associating with delinquent peers and antisocial behavior depends on reward sensitivity, measured in the reward center (Ventral Striatum) of the brain. This relationship is stronger in youth with an increased response to reward compared to those with a lower response.