Overcoming the Three-Minute Motivation Dip – Exam Brain Science 3
Are you someone whose enthusiasm fades after just a few minutes of effort?
Exam Brain Science 3, written by University of Tokyo professor and neuroscientist Yuji Ikegaya, uses engaging manga to explain how the brain’s motivation switches work and how to overcome short-lived bursts of drive.
The Three-Minute Motivation Dip
People often find that whatever feels exciting at first becomes tedious, and whatever feels taxing eventually becomes routine. This phenomenon occurs because our cerebral cortex naturally habituates—it decreases its response to repeated stimuli so we can ignore the unimportant and focus on what matters. Habituation is a form of non-associative learning in which our response to a constant stimulus diminishes over time.
By understanding habituation, we can leverage this built-in adaptation to turn daunting tasks into habits and sustain our motivation beyond the initial thrill.
The Motivation “Switches”
Neuroscience identifies four key “switches” that activate the globus pallidus interna—a brain region critical for sustaining drive (motivational “guts”)—and help transform motivation into lasting effort.
1. Get Your Body Moving
Physical movement stimulates the motor cortex, which in turn activates the motivation center. Even a fake smile or simply picking up a task tool can trick the brain into generating the energy needed to continue.
2. Change Your Approach
Introducing novelty—like switching your environment or method—engages the hippocampus (memory center) and re-energizes the motivation switch. This “newness effect” breaks habituation and restores focus.
3. Set Up Rewards
External rewards stimulate the ventral tegmental area, releasing dopamine that activates the motivation circuitry. To prevent rapid habituation to rewards, the book suggests linking pleasurable habits to task completion (e.g., only allowing yourself a treat after hitting a study milestone).
4. Immerse Yourself
Through misattribution—the brain’s tendency to misassign arousal causes—“bridge effect” or similar high-arousal contexts can falsely boost motivation. Visualizing the excitement of completion or creating a stimulating atmosphere can fool the brain into sustaining effort.
Turning Effort into Habit
When one of these switches stays active over repeated sessions, it reinforces striatal circuits, forming a habit loop that makes challenging tasks effortless over time. The manga format illustrates 16 practical techniques across these four switches, making complex neuroscience easy and fun for students, parents, and teachers alike.
Finally, a quote from the book to close today’s reading:
it’s by raising your fist first that motivation follows.
You have to actively welcome 'guts.'"
—— Exam Brain Science 3
Exam Brain Science 3
- Author: Yuji Ikegaya (池谷裕二)
- Publication: April 2024
- Categories: Cognitive Growth, Science Popularization
—— From @不略
