<p>Setting aside the encyclopedic issue of what might make an unspecified stimulus funny, beautiful, or otherwise pleasing for its <a href="/questions/tagged/aesthetics" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;aesthetics&#39;" rel="tag">aesthetics</a>, it's at least evident that you're asking about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforcement" rel="nofollow noreferrer">reinforcing</a> stimuli that provide <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incentive" rel="nofollow noreferrer">incentives</a> via <a href="/questions/tagged/emotion" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;emotion&#39;" rel="tag">emotion</a>al <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reward_%28psychology%29#Psychological_reward" rel="nofollow noreferrer">reward(s)</a>. It's not clear how you expect to rule out conscious interest, but reinforcement learning may not necessitate consideration of conscious control, so I suppose we can disregard the whole issue of <a href="/questions/tagged/consciousness" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;consciousness&#39;" rel="tag">consciousness</a> at this level of generality (or ambiguity/vagueness). That is essentially the approach of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_behaviorism" rel="nofollow noreferrer">radical</a> <a href="/questions/tagged/behaviorism" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;behaviorism&#39;" rel="tag">behaviorism</a>, after all.</p>

<p>Aside from the tags and links included so far, there's plenty of science available on psychological reward:</p>

<ul>
<li>Relevant neural structures include the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventral_tegmental_area#Reward_system" rel="nofollow noreferrer">ventral tegmental area</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleus_accumbens#Pleasure_and_reinforcement" rel="nofollow noreferrer">nucleus accumbens</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine#Reward" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dopamine</a> is probably the most relevant <a href="/questions/tagged/neurotransmitter" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;neurotransmitter&#39;" rel="tag">neurotransmitter</a>, but other <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catecholamine" rel="nofollow noreferrer">catecholamines</a> such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epinephrine#Epinephrine_and_psychology" rel="nofollow noreferrer">adrenalin</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norepinephrine#Decision_making" rel="nofollow noreferrer">norepinephrine</a> may affect impulse regulation and attention.</li>
<li>Relevant <a href="/questions/tagged/personality" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;personality&#39;" rel="tag">personality</a> factors include the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_activation_system#Behavioral_Activation_System" rel="nofollow noreferrer">behavioral activation system</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensation_seeking" rel="nofollow noreferrer">sensation-seeking</a>. Other factors become more or less relevant depending on the nature of the stimulus, e.g.:

<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Openness_to_experience" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Openness to experience</a> affects aesthetic preferences, especially in art and culture.</li>
<li>Cultural background affects interests, preferences, and incentives through <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquired_taste" rel="nofollow noreferrer">taste acquisition</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arousal#Introversion_and_extraversion" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Emotional stability and extraversion</a> may affect <a href="/questions/tagged/attitudes" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;attitudes&#39;" rel="tag">attitudes</a> toward arousing or social stimuli.</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_desire#Theoretical_perspectives" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sexual desire</a> may be relevant, depending on the stimulus and the individual.</li>
<li>Emotional and physiological states affect the strength and relevance of other needs / motives.</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscientiousness" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Conscientiousness</a> or control affects impulse regulation, which is relevant if urge resistance is.</li>
</ul></li>
<li>We have a dedicated question about humor: <a href="https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/q/5625/4086">How does our brain consider something to be funny?</a></li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T23:10:00.997Z
2014-04-01T23:10:00.997Z
2017-04-13T12:56:16.417Z
Nick Stauner
<p>There are some examples of this.</p>

<p>What makes us:</p>

<ul>
<li>Feel we just HAVE TO watch that video or an image again, it's common with comedy videos</li>
<li>Feel we need to stare at a such a beautiful sight, a person or an image</li>
</ul>

<p>It's not that something is particularly interesting to the conscious mind, but yet we still can't resist but watch.</p>

<p>What's the science behind this process?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T20:33:50.707Z
Could you provide some of those examples?
Nick Stauner
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T20:49:36.340Z
Posting a comedy video or a beautiful woman's picture wouldn't be appropriate. I think the description was clear.
Glorious Kale
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-04-01T23:07:07.883Z
You don't have to post them to describe them more specifically, but I don't think it would be inappropriate to offer links as far as the site is concerned. It's only unclear how you intend to exclude conscious interest (and what initial research you've done, if any). Otherwise as is, this is a very broad question, so it's hard to imagine where an answer should begin, let alone end...Nonetheless, I've got a simple idea I can offer in case you're not looking for an especially deep answer.
Nick Stauner
<attention>
What makes a sight or an image mesmerizing and irresistible?
Glorious Kale
# What makes a sight or an image mesmerizing and irresistible?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-04-01)

There are some examples of this.

What makes us:

* Feel we just HAVE TO watch that video or an image again, it's common with comedy videos
* Feel we need to stare at a such a beautiful sight, a person or an image

It's not that something is particularly interesting to the conscious mind, but yet we still can't resist but watch.

What's the science behind this process?

**Tags:** attention

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Could you provide some of those examples?  
> **username_0**: Posting a comedy video or a beautiful woman's picture wouldn't be appropriate. I think the description was clear.  
> **username_1**: You don't have to post them to describe them more specifically, but I don't think it would be inappropriate to offer links as far as the site is concerned. It's only unclear how you intend to exclude conscious interest (and what initial research you've done, if any). Otherwise as is, this is a very broad question, so it's hard to imagine where an answer should begin, let alone end...Nonetheless, I've got a simple idea I can offer in case you're not looking for an especially deep answer.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2014-04-01. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

Setting aside the encyclopedic issue of what might make an unspecified stimulus funny, beautiful, or otherwise pleasing for its [aesthetics](/questions/tagged/aesthetics "show questions tagged 'aesthetics'"), it's at least evident that you're asking about [reinforcing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforcement) stimuli that provide [incentives](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incentive) via [emotion](/questions/tagged/emotion "show questions tagged 'emotion'")al [reward(s)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reward_%28psychology%29#Psychological_reward). It's not clear how you expect to rule out conscious interest, but reinforcement learning may not necessitate consideration of conscious control, so I suppose we can disregard the whole issue of [consciousness](/questions/tagged/consciousness "show questions tagged 'consciousness'") at this level of generality (or ambiguity/vagueness). That is essentially the approach of [radical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radical_behaviorism) [behaviorism](/questions/tagged/behaviorism "show questions tagged 'behaviorism'"), after all.

Aside from the tags and links included so far, there's plenty of science available on psychological reward:

* Relevant neural structures include the [ventral tegmental area](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ventral_tegmental_area#Reward_system) and [nucleus accumbens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nucleus_accumbens#Pleasure_and_reinforcement).
* [Dopamine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine#Reward) is probably the most relevant [neurotransmitter](/questions/tagged/neurotransmitter "show questions tagged 'neurotransmitter'"), but other [catecholamines](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catecholamine) such as [adrenalin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epinephrine#Epinephrine_and_psychology) and [norepinephrine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norepinephrine#Decision_making) may affect impulse regulation and attention.
* Relevant [personality](/questions/tagged/personality "show questions tagged 'personality'") factors include the [behavioral activation system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Behavioral_activation_system#Behavioral_Activation_System) and [sensation-seeking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensation_seeking). Other factors become more or less relevant depending on the nature of the stimulus, e.g.:
  + [Openness to experience](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Openness_to_experience) affects aesthetic preferences, especially in art and culture.
  + Cultural background affects interests, preferences, and incentives through [taste acquisition](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquired_taste).
  + [Emotional stability and extraversion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arousal#Introversion_and_extraversion) may affect [attitudes](/questions/tagged/attitudes "show questions tagged 'attitudes'") toward arousing or social stimuli.
  + [Sexual desire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_desire#Theoretical_perspectives) may be relevant, depending on the stimulus and the individual.
  + Emotional and physiological states affect the strength and relevance of other needs / motives.
  + [Conscientiousness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscientiousness) or control affects impulse regulation, which is relevant if urge resistance is.
* We have a dedicated question about humor: [How does our brain consider something to be funny?](https://cogsci.stackexchange.com/q/5625/4086)


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