Reward prediction error influences dopamine release.

“A concept called reward prediction error reward prediction error says that the dopamine that it is experienced that is that's released from the VTA and nucleus accumbens is going to be of a certain value and that value is going to be compared to the desire and expectation of what I thought I was going to get so if you take what you actually got minus what you expected that's reward prediction error”

“dopamine is not just released when we get the reward when we get the thing that we're pursuing dopamine is released in anticipation of what we want”

“if the sandwich completely surprises me and is completely amazing just an amazing sandwich well then the level of dopamine that I experience when I consume that sandwich is going to be even greater and it's going to be that minus what I expected so there it's a bigger reward prediction error in the direction of higher Peak”

“if the sandwich is basically what I expected to get fine dopamine comes down basically to a baseline level that's pretty standard for me and is basically the Baseline level I had before I ever thought about the sandwich at all”

“in which case if we take that reward experienced minus reward predicted from the initial craving well then it's going to be less than what I expected and therefore the Baseline drops below where it was prior to even Desiring the sandwich”