Our capacity to imagine potential outcomes activates the dopamine anticipation response
Mental simulations evolved to allow us to anticipate potential outcomes and make the best approach. But in some instances these same types of simulations get hijacked by the process in which a dopamine release occurs when we explore and evaluate the potential value of novel objects and situations, leading us to spend time “elsewhere” when we should be doing something else. This process is what we ordinarily call daydreaming. Daydreaming is a great example of our attention being diverted from the task at hand.
References
- Brewer, Judson. (2017). The Craving Mind Why We Get Hooked and How We Can Break Bad Habits Chapter 5. Addicted to Distraction (Location 1361). New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Metadata
Type:🔴 Tags: Biology / Neuroscience / Biochemistry / Neurochemistry / Neuropsychology Status:☀️