Reward devaluationReward devaluation refers to a psychological and neurobiological phenomenon where the subjective value or motivational significance of a reward diminishes over time, often due to repeated exposure, satiation, or changes in contextual relevance.[1] OverviewThis process is critical in behavioral neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and economics, as it influences decision-making, learning, and adaptive behavior. For example, animals or humans may reduce their effort to obtain a reward if its perceived value decreases (e.g., due to overconsumption or negative associations). The concept is often studied in paradigms like operant conditioning, where devaluation of a reinforcer (e.g., food) can weaken previously learned behaviors. Clinically, aberrant reward devaluation mechanisms are implicated in psychiatric conditions such as depression , where patients exhibit anhedonia (diminished pleasure in rewarding activities) and a hypersensitivity to negative outcomes , potentially reflecting dysregulated interactions between the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC),[2] anterior cingulate cortex (ACC),[3] and basolateral amygdala (BLA).[4] These regions are thought to underlie the inability to update reward values in response to changing environmental or internal states, perpetuating motivational deficits. The phenomenon also plays a role in understanding disorders like addiction, where impaired devaluation mechanisms may drive compulsive reward-seeking despite adverse consequences. References
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