The Science of Motivation How Your Brain Chases Rewards

Episode 5: Why We're All Designed To Chase Rewards

In this episode of Conscious Curiosity, Franck and Matt explore a fascinating neuroscience paper by Aviv Weinstein titled “The Role of the Reward System in the Regulation of Motivation”.

Together, they unpack what the latest brain research reveals about how motivation really works – and why we sometimes feel energised to act (or not). We'll look at the brain's reward systems and explore how dopamine, anticipation, and our unique neurobiology shape our drive to act.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

🔹 How the brain drives motivation: The role of key brain areas like the prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and the dopamine system in regulating how we respond to potential rewards.

🔹 The science behind reward: Why anticipating a reward often motivates us more than the reward itself – and how to use that insight in real life.

🔹 What this means for getting ourselves going and neurodivergent minds: How understanding motivation from a neuroscience perspective can lead to more compassionate, effective strategies for ourselves and others.

🔹 Daniel Pink's Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose framework for motivation - and how understanding and leveraging these three things can make a difference.

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📃 Today’s Source Material: “The Role of the Reward System in the Regulation of Motivation" by Aviv Weinstein