Dopamine on Retaining Information
The dopamine system in the brain is crucial for aiding memory. Which may also clarify why certain misleading or exaggerated social-media posts rapidly go viral. Here is an outline of how this process could function:
When something unexpected, rewarding, or emotionally charged happens, for instance, a surprising claim, a provocative message, or a likeable post, dopamine neurons fire, generating a reward-prediction.
Research shows that when a dopamine signal occurs at the moment you first see or read information, that event is typically encoded stronger into memory. Because this dopamine-driven enhancement of memory applies even to incidental or otherwise neutral content, it means that messages seen in a context of reward, whether true or false, may stick better in memory.
Unfortunately, there are no studies directly measuring the effect of dopemine on the spread of information on social media. Such a study would be beneficial. Instead are study outlining the general tendencies of when dopemine is released.
