Reconsidering the Neuroevolutionary Framework of the SEEKING System: Emphasizing Context Instead of Positivity

Wright & Panksepp make an important contribution by presenting their neuroevolutionary model of the SEEKING system. This system allows for the eager anticipation and discovery of various resources needed for survival, propagation, and personal growth (Panksepp, 2011; Panksepp & Moskal, 2008). In this article, attention is drawn to salient characteristics of the SEEKING system that have been left out of this theoretical account. Instead of focusing on the mental content inherent to the SEEKING system (emotions, sensations), I argue for the need to delineate contextual factors that influence the activation of this system. Furthermore, I comment on the problems of bypassing the uniqueness of human beings for a framework of SEEKING that is relevant for all mammalian species. Finally, I revisit the claim that the SEEKING system entails primal positive emotions by detailing the distress or pain that often occurs during meaning-making efforts. A functional contextual approach, which addresses when the SEEKING system helps an individual make progress toward personally meaningful goals and when this system disrupts these desired efforts, may be more promising for science and clinical work.