anticipatedpleasure

Anticipatedpleasure is the cognitive and emotional state produced by imagining or forecasting future pleasures associated with a goal, event, or outcome. Unlike immediate or consummatory pleasure, anticipatedpleasure arises prior to the experience itself and can influence motivation, decision making, and mood.

Psychological mechanisms include affective forecasting—the prediction of how future events will feel—and mental simulation or savoring, wherein individuals repeatedly imagine positive aspects of the future to enhance motivation or sustain interest.

Neuroscientific research indicates that anticipation of rewards engages similar brain reward circuits as actual consumption, with dopamine signaling in regions such as the ventral striatum and prefrontal cortex contributing to the motivational pull of upcoming rewards.

Anticipatedpleasure can support goal pursuit by clarifying values, extending motivation across delays, and enriching planning. However, it can also lead to biased judgments, over-optimism, or disappointment if the outcome falls short of expectations. Strategies such as mindful savoring of the anticipation itself, and realistic re-evaluation of goals, can mitigate these risks.

Because the term is not standard in established literature, anticipatedpleasure is often simply described as "anticipated pleasure" or as part of prospection—the broader process of thinking about the future.