# Dopamine triggers motivational salience Dopamine is a neurotransmitter which plays several important functions in the human brain and body. It is usually associated with pleasure, but it actually has more to do with *motivational salience* — the process which prompts an individual to attain a specific goal. Indeed, in an experiment by Berridge,[^1] dopamine-depleted rats were given sweetened water and showed all the signs of liking it, but expressed no interest in it. This shows that dopamine is responsible for "wanting", not for "liking". In itself, this is neither a good nor a bad thing. However, the more the body secretes dopamine, the less effective dopamine becomes (see [[Addiction is caused by dopamine down-regulation]]). Furthermore, [[Uncertainty makes dopamine levels spike]]: that is why gambling and gacha games are so addictive. --- ## 📚 References - [[@whativelearnedScienceInternetAddiction2017|The Science of Internet Addiction & Willpower]] - [[@whativelearnedHowInternetRuins2016|How the Internet Ruins Productivity (by Design)]] [^1]: Berridge, K. C., and T. E. Robinson. [“What Is the Role of Dopamine in Reward: Hedonic Impact, Reward Learning, or Incentive Salience?”](<https://doi.org/10.1016/s0165-0173(98)00019-8>) Brain Research. Brain Research Reviews, vol. 28, no. 3, Dec. 1998, pp. 309–69. PubMed.