Roles of “Wanting” and “Liking” in Motivating Behavior: Gambling, Food, and Drug Addictions

Abstract

The motivation to seek out and consume rewards has evolutionarily been driven by the urge to fulfill physiological needs. However in a modern society dominated more by plenty than scarcity, we tend to think of motivation as fueled by the search for pleasure. Here, we argue that two separate but interconnected subcortical and unconscious processes direct motivation: "wanting" and "liking." These two psychological and neuronal processes and their related brain structures typically work together, but can become dissociated, particularly in cases of addiction. In drug addiction, for example, repeated consumption of addictive drugs sensitizes the mesolimbic dopamine system, the primary component of the "wanting" system, resulting in excessive "wanting" for drugs and their cues. This sensitizing process is long-lasting and occurs independently of the "liking" system, which typically remains unchanged or may develop a blunted pleasure response to the drug. The result is excessive drug-taking despite minimal pleasure and intense cue-triggered craving that may promote relapse long after detoxification. Here, we describe the roles of "liking" and "wanting" in general motivation and review recent evidence for a dissociation of "liking" and "wanting" in drug addiction, known as the incentive sensitization theory (Robinson and Berridge 1993). We also make the case that sensitization of the "wanting" system and the resulting dissociation of "liking" and "wanting" occurs in both gambling disorder and food addiction.

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“…Hebebrandet al [25] have argued that similar to smoking where efforts to limit advertising and to increase the price of smokingand restrict access were successful, interventions to prevent food addiction might be successful if they follow similar strategies, despite the low validity of any food addiction claim. That is, structural efforts may be helpful even if food addiction is not a direct obesity cause, or only one of many related factors [41].…”

“…Robinson et al [25] who examined the role of wanting versus liking in motivating addictive behaviors, stated that excess 'wanting' and 'liking' for food, especially highly palatable foods may foster overeating, one of the primary causes of obesity. In addition food stimuli may attract high attention in those with higher body mass indices.…”

“…In the case of food addictions, marketing of addictive foods, their low cost, and their availability all make the problem a highly explosive one. The presentation and packaging of fast food and other products that contain sugar, fat, and salt, and bombardment of food-associated cues that trigger intense motivation to seek food [25] may encourage overeating, especially in low socioeconomic areas, and if the ingredients are refined and modified to increase their sensory properties and to activate the brain's reward system [25].…”

Is the Failure to Lose Weight among the Obese Partly Because Obesity is an Addictive Disease?

“…26 In the case of food addictions, marketing of addictive foods, their low cost, and their availability all make the problem a highly explosive one. The presentation and packaging of fast food and other products that contain sugar, fat, and salt, and bombardment of food-associated cues that trigger intense motivation to seek food 25 may encourage overeating, especially in low socioeconomic areas, and if the ingredients are refined and modified to increase their sensory properties and to activate the brain's reward system. 25 Unsurprisingly, their ubiquity and palatability may encourage substance dependence according to Garber & Lustig 27 who reviewed both the characteristics of fast food consumers and the presentation and packaging of fast foods.…”

“…The presentation and packaging of fast food and other products that contain sugar, fat, and salt, and bombardment of food-associated cues that trigger intense motivation to seek food 25 may encourage overeating, especially in low socioeconomic areas, and if the ingredients are refined and modified to increase their sensory properties and to activate the brain's reward system. 25 Unsurprisingly, their ubiquity and palatability may encourage substance dependence according to Garber & Lustig 27 who reviewed both the characteristics of fast food consumers and the presentation and packaging of fast foods. In terms of encouraging substance dependence this group found most fast food meals were accompanied by a soda, thus increasing the sugar content 10-fold, an amount found to lead to sugar addiction, tolerance and withdrawal in animal models 27 and food advertisements providing environmental cues that could favor food addiction were increasingly common.…”