Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are strongly heritable, yet their behavioural expression varies widely across children and across environments (Plomin et al., 2016; Rose Tamis-LeMonda et al., 2014), but a unifying framework linking these elements remains incomplete (Johnson et al., 2015). This paper proposes a simple, testable model: predictable, low-effort digital rewards may act as reinforcement amplifiers for certain developmental trajectories in genetically predisposed children (Madigan et al., 2019; Montag rather, dopamine-driven reinforcement learning is presented as the mechanism through which children allocate behavioural time toward stimuli that are reliably rewarding (Schultz, 1998; Sutton Webb et al., 2024). This paper organizes current knowledge into three categories: what is established (genetic foundations and environmental modulation of expression) (Plomin et al., 2016; Rose Tamis-LeMonda et al., 2014), and what remains unclear (how predictable digital rewards might amplify certain traits without altering underlying etiology) (Johnson et al., 2015; Madigan et al., 2019).The proposed reinforcement–expression model generates clear empirical predictions, including contrasts between passive screen exposure, interactive contingent environments, and socially grounded learning (Christakis et al., 2004; Roseberry et al., 2013). Finally, the paper highlights a novel research direction—digitally mediated contingent interaction systems—that may mimic the reward properties of real social exchange more closely than conventional screen media (Goldstein Roseberry et al., 2013). By outlining a mechanistic pathway and offering testable hypotheses, this work aims to support empirical studies without overstating causation, providing a tractable way to examine how modern environments shape developmental expression in children with NDD predispositions (Johnson et al., 2015; Rose & Rutter, 2007).
Choi et al. (Fri,) studied this question.