Wanting vs. Liking Revisited

Revisits the wanting/liking distinction from a reinforcement-learning angle (flagging that formal research prefers a 'two evolutionarily distinct systems' account): 'liking' is how positive reinforcement feels from inside, 'wanting' is how motivation feels, and they diverge for three reasons. Context-dependence (you crave popcorn at the cinema but not at a used-car dealership; pizza after smelling it, never at breakfast — the brain learns 'eat popcorn at movies,' not 'eat popcorn'). Intermittent reinforcement (the bogeying golfer and the slot-machine gambler on a variable schedule — motivated but miserable). And sub-second discounting (the joke book gives immediate reinforcement while the great novel makes you pay an activation cost first, so you want the worse option). Conclusion: another blow to 'preference' and 'utility' as useful descriptions.

Quality 71 · Strong. Strong-ish explainer — the context-dependence and intermittent-reinforcement accounts of why wanting diverges from liking are clear and well-exemplified. Slightly more example-driven and less pointed than the discounting post, and it builds on his own Are Wireheads Happy? plus Berridge, so just below it.

Claude’s paradigm shift 42 · Moderate. Moderate — the wanting/liking split is Berridge's; the freshness is the reinforcement-learning reframe Scott offers in place of the standard two-systems view.

Real-world impact 2 · Minor. Revisits the wanting/liking distinction from a reinforcement-learning angle with clear, well-exemplified accounts of why they diverge (context-dependence — popcorn at the cinema; intermittent reinforcement — the bogeying golfer). Conceptual/expository influence within rationalist discourse, no material change — low RWI.