Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Hindsight Biases01:12

Hindsight Biases

3.5K
Hindsight bias leads you to believe that the event you just experienced was predictable, even though it really wasn’t. In other words, you knew all along that things would turn out the way they did. Can you relate this to the phrase "Hindsight is 20/20" now? 
3.5K
Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness01:14

Avoidance Learning and Learned Helplessness

4.2K
Avoidance learning and learned helplessness are critical concepts in understanding behavioral responses to negative stimuli.
Avoidance learning occurs when an organism learns that a specific behavior can prevent an unpleasant outcome. For example, a student who receives a bad grade may start studying harder to avoid future poor grades. This behavior persists even when the negative outcome is no longer present. Avoidance learning is powerful because it maintains behavior in the absence of the...
4.2K
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

17.9K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.  
17.9K
Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects01:29

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

515
Self-discrepancy theory explains how people compare their actual self to their ideal and ought selves and how mismatches between these self-guides can lead to emotional distress. Developed by E. Tory Higgins, the theory distinguishes among three components of self-concept: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. These refer respectively to how individuals perceive themselves, how they aspire to be, and how they believe they are obligated to be. Emotional well-being, self-esteem,...
515
Counterfactual Thinking01:19

Counterfactual Thinking

436
Counterfactual thinking is a cognitive process wherein individuals mentally reconstruct alternative versions of past events, often beginning with “what if” or “if only.” This reflective mechanism plays a significant role in shaping emotional experiences and guiding future behavior. Though typically triggered by unfavorable or unexpected outcomes, counterfactual thinking can also emerge in mundane, everyday decisions and experiences, revealing its deep entrenchment in...
436
Reason and Intuition01:37

Reason and Intuition

5.9K
The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the...
5.9K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The Lateral Habenula to Ventral Tegmental Area Pathway Is Required for Aversive Learning and Defensive Behaviors.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2026
Same author

TDP-43 dysfunction leads to impaired proteostasis and predisposes mice to worse neurological outcomes after brain injury.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Transcriptional Profiling of the Cortico-Accumbal Pathway Reveals Sex-Specific Alterations Underlying Stress Susceptibility.

Biological psychiatry·2025
Same author

Interpeduncular GABAergic neuron function controls threat processing and innate defensive adaptive learning.

Molecular psychiatry·2025
Same author

Omega-3 Fatty Acids Mitigate Long-Lasting Disruption of the Endocannabinoid System in the Adult Mouse Hippocampus Following Adolescent Binge Drinking.

International journal of molecular sciences·2025
Same author

Suppression of binge alcohol drinking by an inhibitory neuronal ensemble in the mouse medial orbitofrontal cortex.

Nature neuroscience·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 1, 2026

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

1.4K

Review: "The Disappointment Dilemma: Short- and Long-Term Learning From Negative Outcomes".

Ines Ibañez-Tallon1, Susanna Molas2,3,4, Christophe D Proulx5,6

  • 1Laboratory of Molecular Biology, the Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA.

The European Journal of Neuroscience
|April 30, 2026
PubMed
Summary

The brain has a "disappointment circuit" complementing reward systems. The lateral habenula (LHb) handles immediate disappointment, while the medial habenula (MHb) manages long-term negative expectations and mood.

Keywords:
CB1 receptorGPR151aversionfearhabenulainterpeduncular nucleus

More Related Videos

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
07:07

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Published on: June 5, 2016

7.6K
Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
10:26

Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities

Published on: September 11, 2021

3.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 1, 2026

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies
08:24

The Joint Effect of Social Comparison and Social Distance on Evaluation of Intertemporal Choice Outcomes in Event-related Potential Studies

Published on: August 25, 2023

1.4K
Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
07:07

Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice

Published on: June 5, 2016

7.6K
Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
10:26

Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities

Published on: September 11, 2021

3.1K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Neuroscience
  • Emotional Processing

Background:

  • The classic dopaminergic reward system explains positive reinforcement.
  • Understanding the neural basis of negative emotional states, like disappointment, is crucial.
  • The habenula's role in processing negative outcomes is increasingly recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize findings on habenula function in emotional behavior.
  • To propose a "disappointment circuit" model.
  • To differentiate the roles of the lateral habenula (LHb) and medial habenula (MHb) in processing negative experiences.

Main Methods:

  • Review and synthesis of findings from the 2025 Spanish Society for Neuroscience (SENC) symposium.
  • Conceptual framework development integrating existing research on habenula circuits.
  • Analysis of parallels between financial "disappointment dilemmas" and habenular function.

Main Results:

  • The brain utilizes a "disappointment circuit" alongside the reward system.
  • The LHb signals immediate negative prediction errors (short-term disappointment).
  • The MHb shapes long-term negative expectations and mood through accumulated negative experiences.

Conclusions:

  • LHb outputs (via RMTg and VTA) adjust coping strategies rapidly.
  • MHb-IPN circuits gradually alter threat valuation, withdrawal, and mood over time.
  • Both LHb and MHb circuits integrate diverse factors influencing emotional responses and stress resilience.