OverviewReward and Decision their immediate interests as well as the collective needs

which these fields have developed independently of one another. From one perspective, this is not surprising. 3 Neuron Cell Press Each field seeks to understand behavior at a different level of analysis, and sometimes with different inten-Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 tions. However, seen another way, the lack of interaction across these fields is quite surprising, given the potential Introduction This special issue of Neuron addresses two of the most costs in loss of shared knowledge and duplication of effort—both in empirical research and theory building. basic and interesting questions about the neural bases of human behavior: how reward is processed in the This is brought into striking relief in the articles in this special issue, in which the authors address these topics brain, and how this influences our behavior. Indeed, perhaps the most general observations that can be from a variety of perspectives. Two things stand out: (1) there is a remarkably rich array of findings on these made about our behavior (or that of just about any organism) are that (1) its primary and ultimate goal is to seek topics and an equally diverse language for discussing them, and (2) fundamental commonalities are beginning reward (and avoid punishment), and (2) we are not always so good at doing this. As elementary and self-to emerge, and efforts to bridge from one level of analysis to another are starting to take hold. Indeed, one evident as are these observations, a closer consideration of each raises profound questions about the nature inspiration for this special issue was to explore just this question: to what extent can our understanding of hu-of human behavior and how it is guided by reward. First, how do we evaluate and compare the diverse forms of man behavior—focusing specifically on the mechanisms underlying reward, reinforcement learning, and decision reward—satisfying a biological need, pursuing a form of leisure, living longer, or helping another—that are making—begin to bridge between neurobiological sub-strates, behavior, and social consequences. available to us? From an evolutionary perspective, these might all be viewed as mere stepping stones to the Needless to say, this topic could be the subject of an encyclopedia, and so a limited treatment such as the ultimate reward: ensuring the future of our genetic lin-eage. However, from another perspective, that of the one offered here will provide only thin cuts through a complex and multidimensional space. However, these individual going about her daily life, …