Reward and the Brain

Striatum

In the reward processing region, also nucleus accumbens (Nacc) tracks reward value

Study: Cue was pirates and reward was money

Different groups were shown a pirate and it represented the amount of money they won

More ventral striatum activity shown in adolescences, as it’s a sensitive period for reward processing

Classic Conditioning

An involuntary behavior caused by a stimulus

Operant Conditioning

A voluntary behavior eliciting a consequence

Monetary Incentive Delay Task (MID)

Results: Gain anticipation elicits greater brain activity in the reward processing region than the gain outcome

Reinforcement Schedules

Fixed Ratio, Fixed Interval, Variable Ratio and Variable Interval

Fixed vs. Variable

Fixed is set to a consistent pace and variable is random and not set

Ratio vs. Interval

Ratio pertains to a number of responses while interval is pertaining to time

Self-Disclosure

Sharing things about yourself is rewarding as it elicits activity in the reward regions (nucleus accumbens), but only when there’s an audience

Study: NY Times article

Articles that elicited more neural activity in the reward region of the brain were more likely to be shared = shareable media is rewarding

What did the Interest Peer Trials find out?

Social acceptance feels good, it elicits the reward region of the brain (especially for adolescents)

What does vmPFC track?

Tracks both monetary and social reward (in the reward region)

How does Social Observation relate to reward?

Observing attractive faces can be rewarding

Upward Social Comparison

Looking up at someone - diminishes the reward neural activity

Downward Social Comparison

Increases neural activity in the reward regions

downward and monetary rewards activate the similar brain regions

Social comparison and social media use

reward related neural activity for social comparison positively correlates with social media use