Meanings
plural compulsion loops
- human sciencesA habitual chain of activities, for example in a video game, that yields a neurochemical reward such as the release of dopamine.
The classic compulsion loop is designed to either relieve some stress or trigger some reward, or both. Almost all video games are based on compulsion loops.
2022, Carl D. Marci, Rewired: Protecting Your Brain in the Digital Age, Harvard University Press, →ISBN, page 191Synonyms: core loop
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA habitual chain of activities, for example in a video game, that yields a neurochemical reward such as the release of dopamine.
Cite this entry
compulsion loop. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/compulsion%20loop
“compulsion loop.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/compulsion%20loop. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “compulsion loop,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/compulsion%20loop.
Source: compulsion loop on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.