Reward Anticipation

In reward anticipation, cue detection of a future positive outcome or reward can motivate goal-directed actions, enhance attention, and influence decision-making. Motor preparation allows us to move toward to acquiring the reward. It’s linked to dopamine release, making the wanting of the reward more powerful than the liking of it. We’re compelled toward habit-forming, even addictive, behaviors because of this drive. Reward anticipationinvolves the mesocorticolimbic dopamine pathway (brain’s neural pathway regulating motivation, reward, learning, memory, and movement) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).