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Identifying the neural substrates of intrinsic motivation during task performance
Woogul Lee1, Johnmarshall Reeve2
1Department of Education, Korea National University of Education, Cheongju-si, Chungbuk, 28173, South Korea. woogul@knue.ac.kr.
Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience
|June 23, 2017
Summary
Intrinsic motivation, the drive for novelty and challenge, involves the anterior insular cortex (AIC) and striatum. These brain regions and their interactions are key to experiencing intrinsic rewards like interest and enjoyment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
Background:
- Intrinsic motivation is the inherent drive to seek novelty and challenge.
- Anterior insular cortex (AIC) activity increases when imagining intrinsically motivating tasks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural underpinnings of intrinsic motivation during actual task performance.
- To identify brain regions and functional interactions associated with experiencing intrinsic motivation.
Main Methods:
- Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used.
- Participants performed curiosity-inducing and competence-enabling tasks.
Main Results:
- Intrinsic motivation involves activity in the AIC and striatum.
- Functional interactions between the AIC and striatum were observed.
- These neural activities correlate with subjective feelings of intrinsic satisfaction.
Conclusions:
- The neural system of intrinsic motivation includes AIC-striatum interactions.
- Subjective feelings of satisfaction and reward processing underlie intrinsic motivation.
- Intrinsic motivation can be conceptualized as the pursuit of intrinsic rewards.
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