Scientific Definition
Source of dopamine signals projecting to reward and motivation circuits.
Plain-English Definition
Source of dopamine signals projecting to reward and motivation circuits.
Feynman Explanation
The dopamine factory.
Core Principle
Source of dopamine signals projecting to reward and motivation circuits.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Source of dopamine signals projecting to reward and motivation circuits.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Motivation is biology before it's narrative.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
The dopamine factory.
Examples
- VTA activity predicts engagement, learning, and reinforcement.
- Motivation is biology before it's narrative.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Variable, surprising, contingent rewards keep VTA engaged.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Variable, surprising, contingent rewards keep VTA engaged.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
Key node of the brain's reward circuit; tracks anticipation of rewards.
How will I feel about this in 10 minutes / 10 months / 10 years?
Basics first (health/finances), then depth (mastery/impact), then altruism (widening circle).
A group decides on a course of action that nobody actually wants, because everyone assumes others prefer it.
Inattention or forgetfulness caused by low attention, hyperfocus, or distraction.
Deriving general rules from specific examples; the leap from instance to concept.
Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
We attribute our own actions to situations but others' actions to their character.
Your capacity to learn, unlearn, and relearn faster than the environment changes.
The brain evolved to reason adaptively, not always truthfully, to reduce the cost of errors.
A problem whose solution requires people to change their values, beliefs, or habits — not just apply expertise.
We solve problems by adding, even when subtracting would be better.