ATLANTA -- You'd probably feel pretty good if someone handed you $100,000, but experts say you'd feel better if you worked for it.

Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta studied the part of the brain associated with rewards and pleasure by having one group of volunteers play a simple computer game to earn money. A second group was rewarded without work.

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to measure brain activity on both groups. They found that the brains of those who had to work for their money were more stimulated.

The Emory study was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and published in Thursday's issue of the journal Neuron.

Associate professor of psychiatry Gregory Berns said the findings reinforce earlier studies. "Being actively engaged in the pursuit of rewards is a highly important function for the brain, much more so than receiving the same rewards passively," Berns said.

He said, for example, evidence shows people who win the lottery are no happier a year later. Berns also said studies show people get a great deal of satisfaction out of their work.

Study Summary