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motivation

·November 20, 2025·5 min read

Thrill Fatigue: How Dopamine Devalues Repeated Rewards

New research shows that the same dopamine receptor mechanism responsible for drug addiction also governs the natural decline in motivation when we repeat rewarding behaviors. By studying male fruit flies, researchers found that dopamine acting through the D2 receptor promotes persistence during mating, but repeated experiences cause these receptors to desensitize.

This shows a woman running while listening to music.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 7, 2025·4 min read

Adaptive Music Tech Makes Workouts More Fun, Helps People Stay Active

Researchers have shown that adaptive music systems that adjust tempo and rhythm to match a user’s movement can make exercise significantly more enjoyable and motivating. These personalized interactive music systems use real-time data from wearables to keep music aligned with walking, cycling, or weightlifting intensity, helping users stay in rhythm and maintain effort.

This shows a person walking a path towards a crossroads with the sun shining in the background.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·August 26, 2025·5 min read

Belief in Success and Meaning in Life Boost Well-Being

New research shows that meaning in life and self-efficacy—the belief in one’s ability to succeed—are critical for well-being, regardless of sex. Men reported higher levels of passion and self-efficacy, but both men and women were otherwise similar in grit, mindset, and emotional balance.

This shows two people with brain overlays.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 11, 2025·3 min read

Oxytocin’s Social Boost Depends on Motivation

A new study reveals that oxytocin’s ability to enhance social behavior depends heavily on the recipient’s motivation. In rhesus monkeys, the hormone boosted and sustained social decision-making only when the animals were already inclined toward social engagement.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 6, 2025·5 min read

Brain’s Reward Center Tracks Not Just What, But When Rewards Arrive

The brain’s ventral tegmental area (VTA) encodes not only the value of anticipated rewards but also the precise timing of when those rewards are expected. Long known for its role in producing dopamine and guiding reward prediction, the VTA is now shown to process reward expectations on multiple time scales.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 17, 2025·5 min read

Inflammation Tied to Motivation Loss in Schizophrenia

A new study has uncovered a biological link between inflammation and motivational deficits in people with schizophrenia, identifying a promising treatment target for symptoms that current medications fail to address. Higher levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein were associated with reduced activity in brain regions involved in reward and motivation, such as the ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience Psychology

·May 7, 2025·4 min read

Knowing Alzheimer’s Risk Lowers Anxiety, But Motivation Fades

A new study shows that learning about amyloid beta buildup — a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease — does not increase emotional distress, but motivation to maintain healthy habits declines over time. Healthy adults who learned they had no amyloid buildup reported reduced depression, anxiety, and memory concerns, yet also lost motivation to continue positive lifestyle changes.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·May 2, 2025·5 min read

Motivation Struggles Persist After Depression Recovery

People who have recovered from depression show reduced motivation to pursue rewards unless the incentives are large and highly certain. Although mood improves post-recovery, hidden deficits in reward processing and decision-making linger, potentially contributing to relapse vulnerability.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·April 10, 2025·4 min read

Motivational Stress Mindset Keeps Empathy

Viewing stress as a potential motivator can improve productivity and wellbeing without reducing empathy or willingness to support others. Researchers developed a brief online intervention that teaches participants to reframe stress more positively using education and visualization techniques.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·November 21, 2024·4 min read

Low Confidence Drives Feedback-Seeking, Boosts Learning Outcomes

A new study reveals that individuals with low confidence in their performance are more likely to seek corrective feedback, which significantly enhances their learning. By analyzing participants' decisions during a memory task tied to monetary rewards, researchers found that the desire for feedback was driven by uncertainty, not emotional factors like stress.

Featured Neuroscience

·October 23, 2024·6 min read

Neural Pathways Link Dopamine to Movement and Motivation

Researchers have discovered two new brain pathways that modify movement and emotional decisions by controlling dopamine release. These pathways, found in the striatum, either stimulate or inhibit dopamine-producing neurons, influencing the go and no-go pathways that control movement.

Featured Genetics Neuroscience

·October 11, 2024·5 min read

Key Brain Protein Tied to Motivation and Mood Identified

A new study has identified a brain protein, vesicular nucleotide transporter (Vnut), as essential for regulating mood and motivation in mice. When Vnut was removed from brain cells called astrocytes, the mice displayed higher anxiety, depression-like behavior, and decreased motivation, especially in females.