In our metaphor, the basal ganglian student initially learns solely from the hypothalamic judge, but over time learns to judge itself, knowing when it makes a mistake before the hypothalamus gives any feedback. This is why dopamine neurons initially respond when rewards are delivered, but over time shift their activation toward predictive cues. This is also why receiving a reward that you knew you were going to receive doesn’t trigger dopamine release; predictions from the basal ganglia cancel out the excitement from the hypothalamus.
