Understanding Motivation: Building the Brain Architecture That Supports Learning, Health, and Community Participation WORKING14 PAPER 14 MEMBERS Takao Hensch, Ph.D. Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard Jack P. Shonkoff, M.D., Chair Faculty of Arts and Sciences; Professor of Neurology, Julius B. Richmond FAMRI Professor of Child Health and Harvard Medical School at Children’s Hospital Development, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Graduate School of Education; Profes- Fernando D. Martinez, M.D. sor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School and Boston Regents Professor; Director of the Arizona Respiratory Children’s Hospital; Director, Center on the Developing Center; Director of BIO5 Institute; Director of the Clinical Child, Harvard University and Translational Science Institute; Swift-McNear Profes- sor of Pediatrics, University of Arizona Pat Levitt, Ph.D, Science Co-Chair Simms/Mann Chair in Developmental Neurogenetics, Bruce S. McEwen, Ph.D. Institute for the Developing Mind, Children’s Hospital Alfred E. Mirsky Professor; Head, Harold and Margaret Los Angeles; W.M. Keck Provost Professor in Neuroge- Miliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology; The netics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern Rockefeller University California Charles A. Nelson, Ph.D. Nathan A. Fox, Ph.D., Science Co-Chair Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Harvard Distinguished University Professor; Director, Child Devel- Medical School; Professor of Education, Harvard Gradu- opment Laboratory, University of Maryland College Park ate School of Education; Richard David Scott Chair in Pediatric Developmental Medicine Research, Boston Silvia A. Bunge, Ph.D. Children’s Hospital Professor, Department of Psychcology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Judy Cameron, Ph.D. We gratefully acknowledge the significant contributions Professor of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Obstetrics- to this paper made by: Gynecology Reproductive Sciences, and Clinical and Translational Science, University of Pittsburgh; Director Kent C. Berridge, Ph.D. of Outreach, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh James Olds Distinguished University Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, James Olds Collegiate Greg J. Duncan, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Distinguished Professor, Department of Education, Michigan University of California, Irvine SPONSORS Elliot Berkman, Ph.D Philip A. Fisher, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychology; Associate Director of The Alliance for Early Philip H. Knight Chair; Professor of Psychology, Univer- the Center for Translational Neuroscience, University of Success sity of Oregon; Senior Fellow, Center on the Developing Oregon Child at Harvard University Deborah Stipek, Ph.D. The Annie E. Casey Judy Koch Professor of Education, Stanford Graduate Foundation Megan R. Gunnar, Ph.D. Regents Professor and Distinguished McKnight Univer- School of Education sity Professor, Institute of Child Development, University Buffett Early Childhood of Minnesota PARTNERS Fund FrameWorks Institute Genentech About the Authors The LEGO Foundation The National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, housed at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, is a multi- disciplinary collaboration designed to bring the science of early childhood and early brain devel- The David and Lucile opment to bear on public decision- making. Established in 2003, the Council is committed to an evidence-based ap- Packard Foundation proach to building broad-based public will that transcends political partisanship and recognizes the complementary responsibilities of family, community, workplace, and government to promote the well-being of all young children. Palix Foundation For more information, go to www.developingchild.net. Pritzker Children’s Please note: The content of this paper is the sole responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the Initiative opinions of the funders or partners. Suggested citation: National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. (2018). Understanding Motivation: Building The Simms/Mann Family the Brain Architecture That Supports Learning, Health, and Community Participation: Working Paper No. 14. Retrieved Foundation from www.developingchild.harvard.edu © December 2018, National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, Center on the Developing Child at Harvard Tikun Olam Foundation University DECEMBER 2018 The Issue A healthy, engaged community depends on people achieving to the best of their potential, contributing actively to the economy and public well-being, and helping the next generation to thrive. A complex set of intertwined social and biological factors influences peo- ple’s motivation to participate actively and productively in schools, jobs, and communities— and to persevere in the face of setbacks. To unlock this puzzle and ensure that all people have the opportunity to develop motivation to learn, improve skills, and make healthy choices, it would be helpful to understand the underlying mechanisms in the brain that develop in child- hood and build the foundation for later complex behavior (see page 7 for more information). The brain circuits underlying motivation by helping us understand what leads to these are critical for attention, learning, and behaviors. decision-making. When these circuits have The brain systems that govern motivation either not developed in a balanced and are built over time, starting in the earliest healthy way or have been chemically hijacked years of development. These intricate neural by addictions, challenging life circumstances circuits and structures are shaped by interac- can overpower the best of intentions. Programs tions between the experiences we have and intended to support parents and children the genes we are born with, which together facing adversity often find that participation influence both how our motivation systems is one of their greatest challenges. Dropping develop and how they function later in life. out of school and not participating in Providing children with the kinds of early family support, job training, or addiction life experiences that support the develop- programs—all of these are reflections of ment of healthy, balanced motivation systems motivation systems that have been disrupted is key to ensuring positive outcomes later— by threat or hardship. Substantial scientific for school, work, health, and raising the next knowledge can inform the search for solutions generation. The Science of Motivation In the brain, motivation is the result The chemicals, which include dopamine, of neurons (brain cells) in specific regions serotonin, norepinephrine, glutamate,1-2 and sending chemical signals via high-speed naturally occurring opioids that are produced neural networks to other regions, creating in the brain, each serve different purposes. pathways for future signals to follow. For example, when dopamine Experiences trigger the release of these is released, it signals to the chemicals to regions that connect emotions, rest of the brain that some- memory, and the sensation of pleasure or thing important is about reward. This links the feeling of reward to the to happen—something emotions we felt and the experience that led to that we should enjoy it—and that influences both our expectations or avoid at all costs. of reward and the actions we are motivated (See page 7 for more to take in order to get it. Given the appeal of information on the anticipating an immediate reward, it takes brain chemicals and strong self-regulation to resist these powerful regions involved in motivation.) memories and cues in favor of a long-term reward. WWW.DEVELOPINGCHILD.HARVARD.EDU Understanding Motivation 1 NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC COUNCIL ON THE DEVELOPING CHILD There are two types of motivation: one di- worth seeking out and learning from. rected toward expected rewards (known The surge also increases communi- as approach motivation) and another di- cation between the brain region re- rected away from threat (known as avoid- sponsible for dopamine release and ance motivation). In other words, we can the regions responsible for emotion be motivated either to seek pleasure or to and memory. As a result, our memo- avoid danger. Both kinds of motivation are ries of the learning experience become necessary for survival, and supportive devel- linked with the reward received and opmental processes create a healthy balance the emotions we felt.9-11 Strong emo- between the two. When they are out of tional connections to memories help us balance, excessive reward-seeking or retrieve them more readily. The decisions danger-avoidance can lead to a range of made in order to receive a short-term re- disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperac- ward may not always achieve a long-term tivity, depression, substance abuse, benefit, as anyone tempted by a anxiety, and post-traumatic delicious dessert under- stress.3-6 Both types of stands, but the brain is motivation develop attuned to experi- in childhood and ences that have are strongly influ- previously led to enced by what’s hap- a reward, and it pening in a child’s learns to pre- environment.7 For dict which ex- example, the con- periences are sistent presence of likely to trig- a supportive adult ger the reward in a child’s life can again. calm an overactivat- ed amygdala, an area of • Avoidance the brain that is critical for motivation learning fear and responding directs us away from to threat.