What is the difference between 'liking' and 'wanting'?
A) 'Liking' refers to the anticipation of pleasure and 'wanting' refers to the experience of pleasure.
B) 'Liking' involves primary incentives and 'wanting' involves secondary incentives.
C) 'Liking' activates the opiate-producing system in the brain and 'wanting' activates the dopamine system.
D) 'Liking' involves the nucleus accumbens and 'wanting' involves the prefrontal cortex.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

'Liking' and 'wanting' are two different components of reward that are processed by different systems in the brain. 'Liking' pertains to the hedonic impact or subjective experience of pleasure, and this is mediated by the release of endogenous opioids that activate the opioid system in the brain. On the other hand, 'wanting' refers to the motivational or incentive salience aspect of reward, which triggers the pursuit of reward and the associated behaviors. This is primarily driven by the release of dopamine in the mesolimbic pathway, which includes the nucleus accumbens, ventral tegmental area, and prefrontal cortex. Thus, option C is correct: 'Liking' activates the opioid-producing system in the brain and 'wanting' activates the dopamine system.

What Is the Difference Between 'Liking' and 'Wanting