The science behind motivation

Being motivated is not the easiest of tasks. The thought of having to do a task that requires a lot of effort isn’t appealing in many ways and the constant distractions in our environments can quickly become the cause of our loss of attention. Leading to the involvement in other unnecessary activities- known as procrastination. This alludes to the common misconception  that motivation is down to our actions alone. However, there is actually a lot more science to how we become motivated.

The source of our motivation stems from the neurotransmitter dopamine. Although dopamine is usually associated with pleasure, its effects have been proven to be more diverse. Many studies suggest it plays a key role in motivation, as it is involved with attention span and focus which are vital for staying motivated. It passes from one neurone (the presynaptic neurone) to the next (postsynaptic neurone) across the synapse. It diffuses across to the postsynaptic neurone and binds to its receptors which it then acts on the neurone. In order for dopamine to have its rewarding aspect which boost motivation it must take the mesolimbic pathway. This pathway is often referred to as the reward pathway; starting in the middle of the brain.

Furthermore, when a study was carried out using PET scans by the Vanderbilt University in 2012 it illustrated that depending where the dopamine was found affected its motivating aspect. For example, in the highly motivated people undergoing the study dopamine was found in the striatum and prefrontal cortex of the brain. These two areas are known for having an impact on motivation. On the other hand, for the less motivated people it was found in the anterior insula, this area of the brain is involved in the role of emotional awareness and the perception of risk.

Many other factors can affect motivation, such as the difficulty of the task, the reward for doing it (if any) and the individual’s emotions. Therefore, dopamine cannot be pinpointed as the main or individual cause of motivation, but it does play a role in it.

Hope you found this insightful. Thanks for reading
Written by Aarti Chopra
Universal Medicine

Sources:
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwigpZGzsr7XAhUBXBQKHQ6gDYcQjRwIBw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedirect.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fpii%2FS0149763415302542&psig=AOvVaw3_eMbn7YmCdEtTW1G4LR-6&ust=1510760147637605
https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa16/2016/10/10/the-science-behind-motivation/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3999437/
http://neurosciencenews.com/dopamine-learning-reward-3157/


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PTSD - A Psychodynamic Explanation

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder which you may develop after being involved in, or witnessing, traumatic events. The condition was first recognised in war veterans and has been known by a variety of names, such as 'shell shock'. PTSD can develop immediately after someone experiences a disturbing event, or it can occur weeks, months or even years later. Its estimated to affect about 1 in every 3 people who have a traumatic experience, but it's not clear exactly why some people develop the condition and others do not. There are many theories that could be used to explain this condition. Psychodynamic approaches to PTSD focus on a number of different factors that may influence or cause PTSD symptoms, such as early childhood experiences, current relationships and the things people do to protect themselves from upsetting thoughts and feelings that are the result of experiencing a traumatic event. The psychodynamic approach focuses mainly
Read more

Disparities in Global Eye Care

Vision is one of our most precious possessions. Multiple polls globally show that most people are more fearful of becoming blind than losing any other sense. (1,2) With sight being such a valuable asset, one would assume that eyecare is at the forefront of medical services across the world. Living in the developed world, we perhaps take for granted the simple and yet crucial services available to us such as regular eye tests, glasses, contact lenses and high-quality ophthalmic care - most of which can be accessed for free or at a subsidised price. However, in many parts of the world this is not the case. 285 million people worldwide are visually impaired, with 90% being from developing countries. (3) In China, for example, levels of blindness are increasing each year, however critically, rates of blindness have been reported at up to 4 times higher in the developing world as compared to more economically developed countries (4, 5). This is particularly worrying given that around 80% of
Read more

Do Contact Lenses Really “Support Your Vision”?

Image
Contact lenses have been frequently used as an alternative to glasses. Compared to the heavy-framed glasses in front of one’s eyes (optic glasses), thin plastic discs on the eye (contact lenses) help correct refractive errors in both myopic and hypermetropic users. The lens’ shape and power can be tailored to the user’s sight. A concave lens can be used to decrease myopia by reducing light refraction and increasing focal length so that the image is formed on the retina (1)  (Figure 1). Alternatively, a convex lens can be used to limit hypermetropia in an opposing mechanism to concave lenses (1) (Figure 1). Figure 1, An illustration of myopia and hyperopia and how adding lens of different shapes in front of the eye can be used to alter the refraction of light and correct each impairment in vision (10) Besides supporting sight, which both types of lenses can do, contact lenses confer some advantages that make them preferable to glasses. Unlike glasses, contact lenses are less likely to f
Read more