Dopamine in the Brain Hormone Can Make People Work So Mad

Some people have a tendency to work and some just crazy reluctantly. The reason could be due to differences in motivation among employees.One study found that people's tendency to be workaholics also influenced by hormones.A study using brain imaging found that individual willingness to work hard is strongly influenced by the chemical in the brain.In addition to finding new ways about how the brain works, this study also has important implications for treating attention deficit disorder, depression, schizophrenia and low motivation.Previous research has found that excessive levels of dopamine can cause schizophrenia, and if the deficiency can cause Parkinson's disease.The research was conducted on 25 healthy volunteers aged 18-29 years. 52% of whom are women.
To know his motivation, participants were asked to perform simple tasks, ie pressing a button. First of all, the participants were asked to choose between an easy task or a difficult.An easy task earn a dollar, while the wages earned from working on the difficult tasks to reach 4 billion U.S. dollars.

After determining the choice, participants were told that wages are likely to be obtained.Tasks to be done takes about 30 seconds and participants were asked to do its job over and over again for about 20 minutes."At this point, we do not have data to prove that doing the job for 20 minutes is related to individual achievement.

But the way it can measure the individual's willingness to try to get a wage," said David Zald, associate professor of psychology at Vanderbilt as reported by Science Daily , Friday (11/05/2012).The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience this brain mapping technique called positron emission tomography (PETscan).

The researchers found that people who want to work hard over many releases the hormone dopamine in a brain area known to play an important role in reward and motivation, the area striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex.

On the other hand, the slackers who are less willing to work hard to have high levels of dopamine in other brain regions that play an important role in processing emotions and perceptions of risk, namely the anterior insula."Other studies in rats have shown that dopamine is important in motivating behavior.

This study provides new information on the workings of dopamine in determining individual differences that affect the behavior of a hard worker and a workaholic," said Michael Treadway from Vanderbilt who participated in the study.Our findings suggest that high levels of dopamine in the brain called the insula are associated with low motivation to work, even after realizing that the money will be earned less.