Showing posts with label superstimuli. Show all posts
Showing posts with label superstimuli. Show all posts
Why Do We Eat? A Neurobiological Perspective. Part VI
In previous posts in this series, I explained that the brain (primarily the mesolimbic system) integrates various factors to decide whether or not to drive food seeking and consumption behaviors. These include homeostatic factors such as hunger, and non-homeostatic factors such as palatability and the social environment.
In this post, I'll examine the reward system more closely. This is the system that governs the motivation for food, and behavioral reinforcement (a form of learning). It does this by receiving information from other parts of the brain that it uses to determine if it's appropriate to drive (motivate) food seeking behavior. I covered its role in motivation in the first post of the series, so in this post I'll address reinforcement.
Behavioral Reinforcement
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In this post, I'll examine the reward system more closely. This is the system that governs the motivation for food, and behavioral reinforcement (a form of learning). It does this by receiving information from other parts of the brain that it uses to determine if it's appropriate to drive (motivate) food seeking behavior. I covered its role in motivation in the first post of the series, so in this post I'll address reinforcement.
Behavioral Reinforcement
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Why Do We Eat? A Neurobiological Perspective. Part V
In previous posts, I explained that food intake is determined by a variety of factors that are detected by the brain, and integrated by circuits in the mesolimbic system to determine the overall motivation to eat. These factors include 'homeostatic factors' that reflect a true energy need by the body, and 'non-homeostatic factors' that are independent of the body's energy needs (e.g. palatability, habit, and the social environment).
In this post, we'll explore the hedonic system, which governs pleasure. This includes the pleasure associated with food, called palatability. The palatability of food is one of the factors that determines food intake.
The Hedonic System
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In this post, we'll explore the hedonic system, which governs pleasure. This includes the pleasure associated with food, called palatability. The palatability of food is one of the factors that determines food intake.
The Hedonic System
Read more »
