Discussion section: While humans are still motivated by food, sex, and drugs, in our modern world, we are also motivated by new inventions: smartphones and social media. Are all of these stimuli treated the same by our brains?  What can the neuroscience of motivated behaviors tell us about our smartphone use and social media engagement? The one neurotransmitter that appears to be involved in motivation for all of these stimuli is the catecholamine neurotransmitter dopamine. This week, we will consider our motivated behaviors and the movement patterns that are required to complete these behaviors and achieve our goals, such as the pleasure we experience from eating a delicious meal. Further, we will consider how new technologies can activate these particular brain circuits to achieve behavioral patterns similar to those observed to be involved in behavioral and drug addictions. Finally, we will consider the significance of a brain system that tells us when to quit. 

Discussion 4 – How the Brain Controls Goal-Directed Behaviors

Study Shows Impact of Social Interactions on Addictive Behavior | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (nih.gov)

Constant craving: how digital media turned us all into dopamine addicts | Life and style | The Guardian

Address the following questions in discussion in one paragraph for each of the two questions:

Questions

1. How does motivation affect our survival as humans? Consider in your answer the role of dopamine in motivated behaviors and the different types of stimuli that we are motivated to seek out.  

2. Choose one motivated behavior discussed in this week’s readings that is also characterized by disordered behavior (e.g., eating disorders, sexual disorders, smartphone/social media “addiction”, etc.). Discuss the pros and cons of using the brain’s “quitting system” to alter this behavior. Could this be a potential treatment mechanism, why or why not? Could other behaviors be more effective “treatments”? Explain.