Actions and Rewards
The NAcc is linked to the rewarding of human behaviors. But human behaviors or actions can only be rewarded if there are cues to remind us of what a particular action felt like. The human brain and the cluster of Neurons (NAcc) partner together to provide these clues by releasing neurotransmitters. The two main neurotransmitters that are released into the NAcc upon certain stimulation are dopamine and serotonin. Serotonin is known as the neurotransmitter that gives the body the impression of satisfaction and hence the body no longer desires the stimulant that was provided initially. Conversely, dopamine is the neurotransmitter that increases the desire for that stimulant. With these neurotransmitters being released into the NAcc it becomes clear that certain behaviors are driven by a reward or anticipation of a reward. The body remembers the pleasurable feeling of the reward and that particular action or behavior can be committed to memory. It is good to keep in mind that the brain's reward system is not only responsive to neurotransmitters. The brain can also take social interactions and use these to create a reward system based on the pleasure of a social interaction.
Read more about this topic: Pleasure Center
Famous quotes containing the words actions and, actions and/or rewards:
“From a purely external point of view there is no will; and to find will in any phenomenon requires a certain empathy; we observe a man’s actions and place ourselves partly but not wholly in his position; or we act, and place ourselves partly in the position of an outsider.”
—T.S. (Thomas Stearns)
“We should often be ashamed of our finest actions if the world understood all the motives behind them.”
—François, Duc De La Rochefoucauld (1613–80)
“And soon it is neither here nor there
Whether time’s rewards are fair or unfair.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)