--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: test subjects played a gambling game…" description: "\"“test subjects played a gambling game while Knutson and his team looked at which areas of their brains became more active. The startling results showed..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/nir-eyal-1258_desire_test-subjects-played-a-gambling-game-whi_2565458.jpg" --- # test subjects played a gambling game while Knutson and his… ![“test subjects played a gambling game while Knutson and his team looked at which areas of their brains became more active. The startling results showed that the nucleus accumbens was not activating when the reward (in this case a monetary payout) was received, but rather, in anticipation of it. The…” quote by Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/nir-eyal-1258_desire_test-subjects-played-a-gambling-game-whi_2565458.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/nir-eyal-1258_desire_test-subjects-played-a-gambling-game-whi_2565458.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e48/nir-eyal-1258_desire_test-subjects-played-a-gambling-game-whi_2565458.jpg) > ““test subjects played a gambling game while Knutson and his team looked at which areas of their brains became more active. The startling results showed that the nucleus accumbens was not activating when the reward (in this case a monetary payout) was received, but rather, in anticipation of it. The study revealed that what draws us to act is not the sensation we receive from the reward itself, but the need to alleviate the craving for that reward. The stress of desire in the brain appears to compel us, just as it did in Olds’ and Milner’s lab mouse experiments.”” [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The brain’s anticipation of reward, not the reward itself, drives motivation, creating a craving that compels action. **In simple terms:** Anticipation, not receipt, fuels desire and drives behavior. Key Takeaway Focus on managing anticipation to reduce impulsive actions. Themes motivation neuroscience desire behavioral psychology Mood analytical reflective Type scientific insightful When to use this quote - gambling addiction - marketing incentives - habit formation - goal setting Key Concepts reward prediction error dopamine signaling craving self‑control Questions to Reflect On - How can you harness anticipation without creating unhealthy cravings? - What strategies reduce the pull of anticipated rewards? A Different Perspective If the reward is delayed, motivation may wane, limiting effectiveness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Desire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) [Dopamine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dopamine/) ## Related quotes > [“what draws us to act is not the sensation we receive from the reward itself, but the need to alleviate the craving for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/what-draws-us-to-act-is-not-the-sensation-we-receive-from-the-reward/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [But countless studies have shown that a cue and a reward, on their own, aren't enough for a new habit to last. Only when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-duhigg/but-countless-studies-have-shown-that-a-cue-and-a-reward-on-their-own/) [Charles Duhigg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-duhigg/) > [“Adding variability increased the frequency of the pigeons completing the intended action. Skinner’s pigeons tell us a great deal about what helps drive our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/adding-variability-increased-the-frequency-of-the-pigeons-completing/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [ “Research shows that levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine surge when the brain is expecting a reward.\[xi\] Introducing variability multiplies the effect, creating a focused… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/research-shows-that-levels-of-the-neurotransmitter-dopamine-surge/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [I can't get any satiation. My brain is wired in such a way that I - in my research, I probably have a lack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-nolte/i-can-t-get-any-satiation-my-brain-is-wired-in-such-a-way-that-i-in/) [Nick Nolte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-nolte/) > [Dopamine makes up less than one percent of the brain's neurotransmitters. It's a small portion. Dopamine is released when people are happy, angry, stressed.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-hart/dopamine-makes-up-less-than-one-percent-of-the-brain-s/) [Carl Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-hart/) > [“From another corner of neuroscience, we’re learning about a neurotransmitter called dopamine. Though there are more than fifty neurotransmitters (that we know of), scientists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-foote/from-another-corner-of-neuroscience-we-re-learning-about-a/) Jeffrey Foote > [The human brain long ago evolved a mechanism for rewarding us when we encountered new information: a little shot of dopamine in the brain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-levitin/the-human-brain-long-ago-evolved-a-mechanism-for-rewarding-us-when-we/) [Daniel Levitin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-levitin/) > [“the brain shows less activity in the ventral striatum, a part of the brain involved in our response to rewards”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-disalvo/the-brain-shows-less-activity-in-the-ventral-striatum-a-part-of-the/) [David DiSalvo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-disalvo/) > [“Again, dopamine is associated with craving, with novelty and the chase, while happiness and pleasure are something else again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/again-dopamine-is-associated-with-craving-with-novelty-and-the-chase/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When we consider how overtargeted and overstimulated our dopamine neurons really are, it’s no surprise that the average person is an overweight procrastinator hooked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-matthews/when-we-consider-how-overtargeted-and-overstimulated-our-dopamine/) [Michael Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-matthews/) > [I used to be able to sit in a chair and for four hours straight in a very focused meditative way be in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brit-marling/i-used-to-be-able-to-sit-in-a-chair-and-for-four-hours-straight-in-a/) [Brit Marling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brit-marling/) > [“Bring your dopamine or adrenaline level down by activating other regions of the brain other than the prefrontal cortex.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-rock/bring-your-dopamine-or-adrenaline-level-down-by-activating-other/) [David Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-rock/) > [“Of course, dopamine didn’t evolve for crossing arbitrary lines on the ground. It evolved to release energy when you’re about to meet a survival…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/loretta-graziano-breuning/of-course-dopamine-didn-t-evolve-for-crossing-arbitrary-lines-on-the/) [Loretta Graziano Breuning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/loretta-graziano-breuning/) > [“love: a chemical history. ...The second stage, attraction, is governed by dopamine and serotonin. When, for example, couples report feeling indescribably happy in each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-yoon/love-a-chemical-history-the-second-stage-attraction-is-governed-by/) [Nicola Yoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-yoon/) ## More by Nir Eyal > [“Imagine a time when your mobile phone rang but you didn’t answer it. Why not? Perhaps the phone was buried in a bag, making…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/imagine-a-time-when-your-mobile-phone-rang-but-you-didn-t-answer-it/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“For an example of how perception of a limited supply can increase sales, look no further than Amazon.com. My recent search for a DVD…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/for-an-example-of-how-perception-of-a-limited-supply-can-increase/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“all humans are motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain, to seek hope and avoid fear, and finally, to seek social acceptance and avoid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/all-humans-are-motivated-to-seek-pleasure-and-avoid-pain-to-seek-hope/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“The more users invest in a product through tiny bits of work, the more valuable the product becomes in their lives and the less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/the-more-users-invest-in-a-product-through-tiny-bits-of-work-the-more/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“Twitter The “feed” has become a social staple of many online products. The stream of limitless information displayed in a scrolling interface makes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/twitter-the-feed-has-become-a-social-staple-of-many-online-products/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“Once a technology has created an association in users’ minds that the product is the solution of choice, they return on their own, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/once-a-technology-has-created-an-association-in-users-minds-that-the/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [ “Instead of asking ‘what problem should I solve?’ ask ‘what problem do I wish someone else would solve for me?’”\[cxxxi\]” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/instead-of-asking-what-problem-should-i-solve-ask-what-problem-do-i/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“Storing Value Unlike physical goods in the real world, the software that runs our technology products can adapt itself to our needs. To become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/storing-value-unlike-physical-goods-in-the-real-world-the-software/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“From the follower side of the equation, the more Twitter users curate the list of people they follow, the better the service will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/from-the-follower-side-of-the-equation-the-more-twitter-users-curate/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“When bored, many people seek excitement and turn to dramatic news headlines. When we feel overly stressed we seek calm, perhaps finding relief in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/when-bored-many-people-seek-excitement-and-turn-to-dramatic-news/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“Remember and Share - Action is the second step in The Hook. - The action is the simplest behavior in anticipation of reward. -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/remember-and-share-action-is-the-second-step-in-the-hook-the-action/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [Habit-forming products often start as nice-to-haves, but once the habit is formed, they become must-haves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/habit-forming-products-often-start-as-nice-to-haves-but-once-the/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“Experiences with finite variability become less engaging because they eventually become predictable. Businesses with finite variability are not inferior per se, they just operate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/experiences-with-finite-variability-become-less-engaging-because-they/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [Fogg states that all humans are motivated to seek pleasure and avoid pain; to seek hope and avoid fear; and finally, to seek social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/fogg-states-that-all-humans-are-motivated-to-seek-pleasure-and-avoid/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [“Stack Overflow’s content is created voluntarily by people who use the site. A staggering 5,000 answers to questions are generated per day by site…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/stack-overflow-s-content-is-created-voluntarily-by-people-who-use-the/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) [Explore all 262 Nir Eyal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) ## More Desire quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [Passion is what you need to be good, an unforgiving passion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-easton/passion-is-what-you-need-to-be-good-an-unforgiving-passion/) [David Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-easton/) > [I want the municipality to be a helping hand to the man with a desire of sympathy, to help the fallen when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-burns/i-want-the-municipality-to-be-a-helping-hand-to-the-man-with-a-desire/) [John Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-burns/) > [Ye youths and virgins, when your generous blood Has drunk the warmth of fifteen summers, now The loves invite; now to new rapture wakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-armstrong/ye-youths-and-virgins-when-your-generous-blood-has-drunk-the-warmth/) [John Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-armstrong/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“THE ESSENCE OF YOUR DESIRE IS A FEELING”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danielle-laporte/the-essence-of-your-desire-is-a-feeling/) [Danielle LaPorte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danielle-laporte/) > [On the brink of being satiated, desire still appears infinite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-rostand/on-the-brink-of-being-satiated-desire-still-appears-infinite/) [Jean Rostand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-rostand/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [He caught her, she fell, he caught her in his arms, he held her tightly unconscious of what he was doing. He held her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-hugo/he-caught-her-she-fell-he-caught-her-in-his-arms-he-held-her-tightly/) [Victor Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-hugo/) > [ Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit. My three \[great teachers\] did not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-steinbeck/teaching-might-even-be-the-greatest-of-the-arts-since-the-medium-is/) [John Steinbeck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-steinbeck/) > [“The deepest urge in human nature is the desire to be important.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/the-deepest-urge-in-human-nature-is-the-desire-to-be-important/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [In discovering books, you became free to explore the full range of human motives, desires, secrets, and lies. All my life, people have scolded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/in-discovering-books-you-became-free-to-explore-the-full-range-of/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) > [I have never been in, nor have I had any strong particular desire to be in, what is termed a costume drama, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/i-have-never-been-in-nor-have-i-had-any-strong-particular-desire-to/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [Now I am in the place I call this wide wide Heaven because it includes all my simplest desires but also the most humble…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-sebold/now-i-am-in-the-place-i-call-this-wide-wide-heaven-because-it/) [Alice Sebold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-sebold/) > [“from THE DEVIL YOU KNOW : She wanted him too. He could see it in the rapid rise of her breasts. He could smell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emery-lee/from-the-devil-you-know-she-wanted-him-too-he-could-see-it-in-the/) [Emery Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emery-lee/) [Browse all 15,155 Desire quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desire/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“test subjects played a gambling game while Knutson and his team looked at which areas of their brains became more active. The startling results showed that the nucleus accumbens was not activating when the reward (in this case a monetary payout) was received, but rather, in anticipation of it. The study revealed that what draws us to act is not the sensation we receive from the reward itself, but the need to alleviate the craving for that reward. 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