FeaturedPsychology·August 21, 2018·3 min readBeauty is Simpler, and Less Special, Than We RealizeAnalyzing the work of great philosophers and recent neuroscience research, researchers conclude certain simple features, such as symmetry and roundness, make things more attractive to us.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscienceOpen Neuroscience ArticlesPsychology·May 11, 2017·4 min readBeauty Requires ThoughtResearchers report distractions can detract from the experience of beauty, and sensuous pleasures can also be beautiful.Read More
FeaturedPsychology·August 5, 2015·3 min readBrain Structures Involved in Delayed Gratification IdentifiedResearchers implicate the hippocampus and nucleus accumbens in decisions that call for delayed gratification.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·September 18, 2022·7 min readCannabis Users No Less Likely to Be Motivated or Able to Enjoy Life’s PleasureCannabis users show no difference in motivation for rewards, pleasure from rewards, or the brain's response to reward-seeking than non-cannabis users.Read More
FeaturedNeurologyNeuroscience Abstracts·October 15, 2012·4 min readDoes Motherhood Dampen Cocaine’s Effects?Mother rats respond much differently to cocaine than female rats that have never given birth, according to new University of Michigan research that looks at both behavior and brain chemistry.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·December 10, 2018·6 min readDopamine’s Yin-Yang Personality: It’s an Upper and a DownerResearchers shed light on the dual nature of dopamine, as a neurotransmitter that makes us seek pleasure and also reinforces avoidance of pain.Read More
FeaturedGeneticsNeurosciencePsychology·August 8, 2019·4 min readGenetic variation contributes to individual differences in pleasureWhat we find pleasurable may be down to our genetics. Researchers found nucleus accumbens activation and physical anhedonia were influenced by shared genes. The experience of pleasure and physical anhedonia also appear to share some of the same genes.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·April 29, 2018·4 min readHow Pleasure Affects Our BrainsA new article looks at the neuroscience of pleasure and considers why, in the pursuit of pleasure, we embark in some actions which are detrimental to our well being.Read More
FeaturedNeuroscience·December 31, 2019·3 min readHow the brain balances pleasure and painDifferent classes of neurons in the ventral pallidum control positive and negative motivations, sending opposing signals along a shared motivation-processing circuit.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·March 2, 2018·5 min readIn Pursuit of Pleasure, the Brain Learns to Hit the Repeat ButtonAccording to researchers, the brain learns to reproduce brain activity patterns that lead to reward. The findings could lead to new avenues for treating addiction and OCD, researchers report.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·May 11, 2022·3 min readMotivation/Pleasure Deficits, Not Expression Impairments, Contribute to Social Dysfunction in Schizophrenia PatientsAmotivation and anhedonia rather than expressive dysfunction play a critical role in determining social functioning in those with schizophrenia.Read More
FeaturedNeurosciencePsychology·January 18, 2020·2 min readMusic helps researchers find link between prediction and pleasureExposing subjects to music composed in an unfamiliar scale, researchers test whether reward can be derived solely from newly formed predictions.Read More
