Positive Valence System

A positive valence system includes neural processes in the brain’s ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex, which respond to positive, motivational situations — anticipating and receiving rewards, engaging in behaviors associated with positive reinforcement, and experiencing a range of pleasurable emotions (happiness, satisfaction, joy, euphoria), and motivation to repeat rewarding actions. Positive valence systems is one of six domains in the National Institute of Mental Health’s Research Domain Criteria (RDoC).