Brain prefers working over mooching

[zakur]

Study: The brain prefers working over getting money for nothing

It's nicer when you actually earn it.

Lottery winners, trust-fund babies and others who get their money without working for it do not get as much satisfaction from their cash as those who earn it, a study of the pleasure center in people's brains suggests.

Emory University researchers measured brain activity in the striatum -- the part of the brain associated with reward processing and pleasure -- in two groups of volunteers. One group had to work to receive money while playing a simple computer game; the other group was rewarded without having to earn it.

The brains of those who had to work for their money were more stimulated.

"When you have to do things for your reward, it's clearly more important to the brain," said Gregory Berns, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral science. "The subjects were more aroused when they had to do something to get the money relative to when they passively received the money."

 

[shemp]

If they don't enjoy their cash, they can just send it to me. It'll make me a lot happier.

 

[garys_2k]

Where do I volunteer for the followup, confirmatory study?

 

[Dymanic]

That link doesn't seem to be working. Surely they included a third group who just played the game without being promised any money?

 

[zakur]

From Emory:

http://www.whsc.emory.edu/press_releases2.cfm?announcement_id_seq=746

 

[wipeout]

Unearned wealth is a psychological burden I believe I could deal with.

 

[Bjorn]

-Some times I go fishing. Catching a fish feels great.

-Some times I don't catch any, but another guy gives me a fish. It doesn't feel as great, but I still have fish.

-Some times I don't go fishing. It's not very exiting not to be fishing.

How much money did they spend to research that?

Lottery winners, trust-fund babies and others who get their money without working for it do not get as much satisfaction from their cash as those who earn it, a study of the pleasure center in people's brains suggests.

And I can't see how the study in any way could be interpreted as in the quote ....

 

[pupdog]

I wonder if it has anything to do with how disgruntled I feel when I work hard, but all for naught.