As a part of a larger Affectome Project (http://neuroqualia. org/background. php) with an
overarching goal of mapping and redefining biological substrates of feelings and emotions …

Reward outcomes are available in many diverse situations and all involve choice. If there
are multiple outcomes each rewarding, then decisions regarding relative value lead to …

Being motivated means exerting effort toward a goal. The 'law of least work'emphasizes a
preference for exerting relatively less effort. The law crosses boundaries among species and …

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) core plays an important role in processing of events related
to food reward, such as conditioned cues, approach or consumption. Nonetheless, there is …

Addiction involves key impairments in reward sensitivity (RS). The current study explored
impaired RS to natural reward as a predisposing factor to addictive-like behavior. Alcohol …

Social interaction, a basic survival strategy for many animal species, helps maintain a social
environment that has limited conflict. Social dominance has a dramatic effect on motivation …

Predictability plays an important role in the experience of musical pleasure. By leveraging
expectations, music induces pleasure through tension and surprise. However, musical …

Previous research has implicated the positive modulation of anandamide, an
endocannabinoid neurotransmitter, on feeding behavior. Anandamide is particularly …

Healthy action selection relies on the coordinated activity of striatal direct and indirect
pathway neurons. In Parkinson's disease (PD), in which loss of midbrain dopamine neurons …

Social interactions/situations have dramatic influences on motivation. Creating animal
models examining these influences promotes a better understanding of the psychological …