Anatomy of Motivation

The past thirty years have seen a revolution in our understanding of neural connectivity. The enormous amount of new neuroanatomical data has significantly altered our ideas about how different parts of the brain interact to control behavior. This chapter assesses what we currently understand about the neuroanatomical basis of motivated behaviors. These behaviors enable animals to organize their interactions with the goal objects that promote the survival of an individual or maintain sustainable numbers of individuals within a species. Four classes of behavior are recognized: ingestive and thermoregulatory behaviors, which are the behavioral adjuncts of physiological homeostasis, and defensive and reproductive behaviors, which organize those social interactions that are more concerned with individual security and the maintenance of the species. Keywords: drive; feedback; goal object; motor control; reward