Last, to further test our previously reported recent life stress × VS reward-related reactivity interaction (Nikolova et al. 2012) in an expanded sample, we used the CES-D Positive Affect subscale (α = 0.829 for Positive Affect subscale) and Life Events Scale for Students (Kuder–Richardson Formula 20α = 0.643; LESS). In this modified version of the LESS participants are asked to indicate if they have experienced different types of common stressful life events within the past 12 months (e.g. moving home, pregnancy, failing a course). The CES-D is a widely used (Murphy, 2002) 20-item scale designed to measure current depressive symptoms (Radloff, 1977). Based on previous factor analysis studies (Shafer, 2006) and confirmatory factor analysis in the current sample, two subscales were computed for non-anhedonic depression (16 items) and positive affect (four items) (see Supplementary material).
