This points us toward an understanding of how dopamine affects the choices we make between working hard or taking the easy way. Sometimes we want a fancy meal, and we’re willing to work hard to prepare it. Other times all we want to do is “veg out”—we’ll tear open a bag of Cheetos in front of the TV, instead of working for even the few minutes it might take to make a simple meal. Consequently, the next step in the experiments was to introduce the element of choice.
