Drive and Perseverance

2019/10/09

"How can I motivate my child?" "Seeking highly motivated individuals." Words related to motivation abound in our daily lives. The former is likely seen in educational settings, while the latter is seen in job hunting. High motivation is valued as a positive trait, while low motivation is something to be avoided. Motivation is also frequently addressed in clinical psychiatry. One of the core symptoms of depression is a lack of motivation, and a factor that hinders rehabilitation for dementia is also motivational impairment. Given these circumstances, research to clarify what kind of brain activity supports motivation is a major pillar of brain science research.

In my laboratory, we study motivation using mice. Motivation in mice!? I imagine readers will be wide-eyed with surprise. However, thanks to contributions from psychology, motivation can be evaluated in both humans and experimental animals. Historically, a framework for motivation research using pigeons was established. Once they learn the relationship that pecking a lever with their beak results in food, a hungry pigeon will peck more to get more food. For example, under the condition that food is given after pecking 100 times, pigeons vary: some finish it all at once, some dawdle, and some throw in the towel. The point here is that the state of mind called motivation is evaluated through attitude and behavior. Even in humans, evaluating motivation is difficult; no matter how much someone says, "I will work with motivation," it cannot be evaluated without seeing them actually work. Furthermore, in addition to the way they work, whether they can achieve their initial goals is also an evaluation point for motivation.

We use mice in experiments that have learned the relationship where pressing a lever results in food. What we have learned from mouse research is that in order to act with motivation, first, "drive" (the ability to quickly shift into action) is necessary, and goals can only be achieved when "perseverance" (the ability to persistently sustain action) is added to that drive. Furthermore, we discovered that the brain regions involved in drive and perseverance were different. Because the internal brain mechanisms for drive and perseverance are different, it is possible to have a result like a "three-day monk" (short-lived resolve) where there was drive but no perseverance. To measure human motivation, just like with mice, there is nothing better than actually having them try it.