Motivation and emotion/Tutorials/Needs/Neurotransmitters and hormones

Motivational & emotional states associated with hormones

Hormone	Associated motivational or emotional experience
Cortisol	Released in response to social evaluative events such as public speaking, relationship conflict, and being personally controlled or rejected. Mobilises attention and energy. Chronically high levels are associated with poor health such as diabetes, hypertension, poor memory, impaired problem solving, and poor intellectual functioning.
Testosterone	Associated with competitiveness, status-seeking, and sexual motivation. Underlies the mating effort.
Oxytocin	Love drug or bonding hormone. Motivates seeking the counsel, support, and nurturance of others, particularly during times of stress (tend and befriend coping response). Helps in developing caring and trust in relationships.
Ghrelin	Stimulates hunger. Released primarily in the stomach. Goes up before feeling hungry. Drops for about 3 hours after eating.
Leptin	Signals satiation. Suppresses hunger. Produced by fat cells. More fat leads to more leptin. However, the brain can become leptin-resistant.

Motivational & emotional states associated with neurotransmitters

Neurotransmitter	Associated motivational or emotional experience
Dopamine	Generates good feelings associated with reward. Released when things go well, especially better than expected. Also released when anticipating future pleasant events.
Serotonin	Influences mood and emotion, sleep, and appetite. A lack is implicated in psychological mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety. Several classes of pharmacological antidepressants modulate reuptake at the synapses.
Norepinephrine	Also called noradrenaline. Readies the brain for action by increasing arousal and alertness, formation and retrieval of memory, and focusing attention.
Endorphin	Inhibits pain, anxiety, and fear, and generates good feelings. Triggered by pain, vigorous aerobic exercise, and laughter.