Laura Rowley Money & Happiness

I have a confession to make. I'm obsessed with real estate web sites.

I get elated by the image of an online "just listed" sign. I can't wait for the digital photos and virtual 360-degree tour to appear. It's a pleasure to ponder the architecture, floor plan, and decor; size up the price; and imagine what it would be like to live there.

The weird thing is, I have no intention of moving. It's harmless voyeurism -- I just get a kick out of seeing something new.

The answer to my obsession may lie in the biochemistry of the brain, which, according to Dr. Gregory Berns, an Emory University neuroscientist and author of Satisfaction: The Science of Finding True Fulfillment, is wired for novelty.

The Kool-Aid Test

Berns believes that the feelings we associate with satisfaction are produced by two brain chemicals, dopamine and cortisol, and a structure in the center of the skull called the striatum.

Dopamine is essential to the brain's health and growth, and is released when the brain encounters something novel or unexpected. To investigate this, Berns and neuroscientist Read Montague of Baylor University conducted an experiment in which volunteers lay in an MRI machine, sucking on a tube that alternated drips of water and Kool-Aid onto their tongues.

Sometimes the sequence of the drops was administered in a predictable pattern; other times, the selection was random. The volunteers' brain activity lit up like a Christmas tree only when the delivery was erratic. (Interestingly, the volunteers didn't consciously notice whether the pattern was regular or random.)

Pain and Gain

Novelty may confer an evolutionary edge, Berns speculates. "In a world that is constantly changing, information becomes a key currency -- and information is really tied into novelty," he says. "If you have information, you have the ability to make better predictions about how the world works, and that's a significant survival advantage."

Cortisol, meanwhile, is released under stress, especially physical stress. It can elevate mood, lower pain, increase concentration, and improve memory.

Berns says that the biochemical interaction of cortisol and dopamine in the striatum are involved in achieving satisfaction. Because cortisol is released most effectively by stressful situations, the road to satisfying experiences "must necessarily pass through the terrain of discomfort," according to Berns. And you thought "no pain no gain" was just a cliche.

So how can you use this brain chemistry research to get more satisfaction out of your money? Here are four findings to get you started:

1. Working for money is better than getting a handout.

In one experiment, volunteers had to press a button on a computer screen to put "cash" into their virtual bank accounts while their brains were being scanned. Another group of volunteers simply watched while money accumulated in their virtual accounts.

The participants who had to make the button-pushing effort showed significantly greater brain activity. "If dopamine and activity in the striatum are associated with feelings of well-being," says Bern, "then doing something is better than winning the lottery or having a trust fund. It sounds like a Calvinist notion, but it's not really -- it's more in line with having a purpose in life."

2. Your brain enjoys window shopping more than actual buying.

"What's important is incorporating the information, and the fantasy value," says Berns. "You can imagine yourself in a certain dress or going on a vacation, and that exceeds the pleasure you'll actually get from it."

So the next time you want to buy a big-ticket item, procrastinate for a week or two. By then, the thrill may be gone, and you'll avoid a case of buyer's remorse.

Meanwhile, beware of shopping when you're out of town or in an environment packed with novel sights and sounds, which will get the dopamine flowing. "Advertisers tap into our predisposition for exciting things, grabbing our attention with something we haven't seen before," Berns notes. Who knew there was a neurological reason not to vacation at the Mall of America?

3. If you have extra money, spend it on experiences instead of more stuff.

Research shows that the strongest correlation between rising income and well-being takes place at the lower end of the income scale.

A raise from $30,000 to $70,000 will have a more significant impact on well-being because it can improve access to basic needs such as adequate housing and transportation, safe neighborhoods, good schools, better medical care, and the like.

A jump from $100,000 to $200,000, on the other hand, typically provides an upgrade in quality. "The implication is that if you use the money to get more of the same things -- a bigger house, or a more expensive car -- you're going to get less bang for the buck," Berns says. "The extra money is best spent on novel things that let you grow as an individual: education, physical recreation, social activities, travel -- nonmaterial goods."

Trading up from a Ford Taurus to a BMW, then, has a limited capacity to inspire that satisfying burst of dopamine in the brain. In addition, researchers have found that we tend to adapt quickly to what we buy, and subsequently want more -- the so-called hedonic treadmill.

4. If you want satisfaction, don't just aim to make a certain amount of money.

The brain doesn't find cash all that thrilling. "Let's say I tell you out of the blue that you've won a small lottery. That would cause a burst of dopamine in your brain," Berns explains. "It's novel, you didn't expect it, and it sets up a state of anticipation that primes your brain to assimilate the information and do something with it.

"When I actually hand you the money, you very likely would not [experience] the same burst of dopamine, because the information has already been taken in."

In other words, don't just work for money. Identify exactly where you want your money to go -- and the challenging experiences you would like it to facilitate in your life. After all, Berns writes that "the most fulfilled people I meet don't sit still. For them, satisfaction and purpose have become the same thing."