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Updated: May 22, 2026
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Studying Food Reward and Motivation in Humans
Published on: March 19, 2014
Disclosing information about the self is intrinsically rewarding
Diana I Tamir1, Jason P Mitchell
1Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. dtamir@fas.harvard.edu
Summary
Humans frequently share personal experiences, driven by the intrinsic reward of self-disclosure. This behavior activates the brain's reward system, suggesting a fundamental value placed on sharing thoughts and feelings.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Social Science
Background:
- Humans dedicate a significant portion of speech to sharing subjective experiences.
- Understanding the motivations behind this self-disclosure is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the hypothesis that self-disclosure holds high subjective value.
- To explore if self-disclosure engages neural reward mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Five studies were conducted to test the hypothesis.
- Brain activity was monitored using fMRI, focusing on reward-associated regions.
- Participants' willingness to forgo monetary gain for self-disclosure was assessed.
Main Results:
- Self-disclosure correlated with increased activation in the mesolimbic dopamine system (nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area).
- Individuals demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice financial incentives to disclose personal information.
- Further studies indicated that self-disclosure's value stems from both self-referential thought and information sharing.
Conclusions:
- The tendency for self-disclosure may originate from its intrinsic rewarding properties.
- Sharing personal experiences engages the brain's reward circuitry.
- Self-disclosure is intrinsically valuable due to self-referential thought and the act of sharing information.
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