In 2014, we participated in a special issue of Frontiers examining the neural processing of
appetitive and aversive events. Specifically, we reviewed brain areas that contribute to the …

Decision-making often involves using sensory cues to predict possible rewarding or
punishing reinforcement outcomes before selecting a course of action. Recent work has …

Processing rewarding and aversive signals lies at the core of many adaptive behaviors,
including value-based decision making. The brain circuits processing these signals are …

Motivation is a complex construct encompassing the processes involved in the initiation,
direction, energization, intensity, and persistence of behavior. These processes are central …

The value of rewards and punishments–namely, how good or bad they are perceived–
guides approach or avoidance behaviors. Valence refers to the negative or positive “sign” of …

Adaptive reward-related decision making requires accurate prospective consideration of the
specific outcome of each option and its current desirability. These mental simulations are …

Decision-making is motivated by the possibility of obtaining reward and/or avoiding
punishment. Though many have investigated behavior associated with appetitive or …

Highlights•The same brain regions process rewards across reinforcer modalities.•No strict
separation of brain systems processing appetitive and aversive events.•Appetitive or …

Many brain areas are activated by the possibility and receipt of reward. Are all of these brain
areas reporting the same information about reward? Or are these signals related to other …

Despite considerable interest in the neural basis of valuation, the question of how valuation
affects cognitive processing has received relatively less attention. Here, we review evidence …