Active threat avoidance is an adaptive coping strategy but can evolve into maladaptive
behavior patterns when it is disproportionate to an actual threat. While excessive and
persistent avoidance, as often seen in anxiety-related disorders, have been investigated
extensively, it is presently unclear under what circumstances insufficient avoidance might
occur in the presence of a genuine threat. We hypothesized that anhedonia, the reduced
ability to experience pleasure, might undermine the relief experience after successful threat …