The role of avoidance motivation in the relationship between reward sensitivity and depression symptoms in adolescents: An ERP study.

•The reduced reward positivity (RewP) has been related to greater depression symptoms and course.•Greater RewP latency was associated with greater depression symptoms and higher behavioral avoidance-motivation, as assessed by self-report.•Blunted reward response was associated with depression only when avoidance motivation was included in the model.•Less efficient processing of reward in adolescents is associated with greater avoidance, which in turn, is associated with depression symptom presentation in cross-sectional analyses.•Results support theories highlighting the role of avoidance of reward (e.g., reward devaluation theory) in depression maintenance.