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Reward system
Group of neural structures responsible for motivation and desireExamples of primary rewards. Clockwise from top left: water, food, parental care, and affection.The reward system (the mesocorticolimbic circuit) is a group of neural structures responsible for incentive salience (i.e., "wanting"; desire or craving for a reward and motivation), associative learning (primarily positive reinforcement and classical conditioning), and positively-valencedemotions, particularly ones involving pleasure as a core component (e.…
Motivational salienceMotivational salience is a cognitive process and a form of attention that motivates or propels an individual's behavior towards or away from a particular object, perceived event or outcome.
EuphoriaIntense feelings of well-beingEuphoria ( ) is the experience (or affect) of pleasure or excitement and intense feelings of well-being and happiness. Certain natural rewards and social activities, such as aerobic exercise, laughter, listening to or making music and dancing, can induce a state of euphoria. Euphoria is also a symptom of certain neurological or neuropsychiatric disorders, such as mania.
Operant conditioningOperant conditioning, also called instrumental conditioning, is a learning process in which voluntary behaviors are modified by association with the addition (or removal) of reward or aversivestimuli. The frequency or duration of the behavior may increase through reinforcement or decrease through punishment or extinction.
Classical conditioningDog clicker trainingClassical conditioning (also respondent conditioning and Pavlovian conditioning) is a behavioral procedure in which a biologically potent stimulus (e.g. food, a puff of air on the eye) is paired with a neutral stimulus (e.g. the sound of a musical triangle). The term classical conditioning refers to the process of an automatic, conditioned response that is paired with a specific stimulus. It is essentially equivalent to a signal.
PleasurePleasure is an experience that feels good, that involves the enjoyment of something. It contrasts with pain or suffering, which are forms of feeling bad. It is closely related to value, desire and action: humans and other conscious animals find pleasure enjoyable, positive or worthy of seeking. A great variety of activities may be experienced as pleasurable, such as eating, having sex, listening to music or playing games.
JoyJoy is the state of being that allows one to experience feelings of intense, long-lasting happiness and contentment of life. It is closely related to, and often evoked by, well-being, success, or good fortune. Happiness, pleasure, and gratitude are closely related to joy but are not identical to it. Distinction vs similar emotionsC.
Valence (psychology)Valence, also known as hedonic tone, is a characteristic of emotions that determines their emotional affect (intrinsic appeal or repulsion). Positive valence corresponds to the "goodness" or attractiveness of an object, event, or situation, making it appealing or desirable. Conversely, negative valence relates to "badness" or averseness, rendering something unappealing or undesirable.
EmotionConscious subjective experience"Emotional" redirects here. For other uses, see Emotional (other).Sixteen faces expressing the human passions – colored engraving by J. Pass, 1821, after Charles Le BrunEmotions are physical and mental states brought on by neurophysiological and neuropsychological changes, variously associated with subjective experiences such as thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure.
MotivationMotivation is an internal state that propels individuals to engage in goal-directed behavior. It is often understood as a force that explains why people or other animals initiate, continue, or terminate a certain behavior at a particular time. It is a complex phenomenon and its precise definition is disputed. It contrasts with amotivation, which is a state of apathy or listlessness.
ReinforcementIn behavioral psychology, reinforcement refers to consequences that increase the likelihood of an organism's future behavior, typically in the presence of a particular antecedent stimulus. For example, a rat can be trained to push a lever to receive food whenever a light is turned on; in this example, the light is the antecedent stimulus, the lever pushing is the operant behavior, and the food is the reinforcer.
Ecstasy (emotion)Ecstasy (from Ancient Greek (ékstasis)'outside of oneself') is a subjective experience of total involvement of the subject with an object of their awareness. In classical Greek literature, it refers to removal of the mind or body "from its normal place of function." Total involvement with an object of interest is not an ordinary experience.
LearningProcess of acquiring new knowledgeAmerican students learning how to make and roll sushiLearning is the process of acquiring new understanding, knowledge, behavior, skills, values, attitudes, and preferences. The ability to learn is possessed by humans, other animals, and some machines. There is also evidence for some kind of learning in certain plants.
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