When there’s money on the table, some people always find a way to win. New research suggests that a specific brain area helps “money players” use the prospect of success to better prepare their thoughts and actions—and increase the odds of winning reward.
The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, identified a brain region about two inches above the left eyebrow that sprang into action whenever study participants were shown a dollar sign—a predetermined cue that a correct answer on the task at hand would result in a financial reward.
Using what researchers believe are short bursts of dopamine—the brain’s chemical reward system—the brain region then began coordinating interactions between the brain’s cognitive control and motivation networks, apparently priming the brain for a looming “show me the money” situation.
“The surprising thing we see is that motivation acts in a preparatory manner,” says Adam Savine, lead author of the study and a doctoral candidate in psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. “This region gears up when the money cue is on.”
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