Incentive Sensitization is a theory proposing that repeated exposure to a rewarding stimulus—such as drugs or palatable food—leads to enhanced sensitivity of the brain’s dopaminergic systems to associated cues. This heightened sensitivity results in the exaggerated attribution of incentive salience, meaning that these cues become increasingly attention-grabbing and “wanted,” even if the actual hedonic pleasure (“liking”) derived from the reward remains the same or diminishes.
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