Cited by 882Psychological and Educational Research StudiesMemory Processes and InfluencesCreativity in Education and Neuroscience

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The Wick in the Candle of Learning: Epistemic Curiosity Activates Reward Circuitry and Enhances Memory

Kang, Min Jeong, Hsu, Ming, Krajbich, Ian M., Loewenstein, George, McClure, Samuel M., Wang, Joseph Tao-yi, Camerer, Colin F.·2009·Psychological Science

DOI 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02402.x

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Abstract

Curiosity has been described as a desire for learning and knowledge, but its underlying mechanisms are not well understood. We scanned subjects with functional magnetic resonance imaging while they read trivia questions. The level of curiosity when reading questions was correlated with activity in caudate regions previously suggested to be involved in anticipated reward. This finding led to a behavioral study, which showed that subjects spent more scarce resources (either limited tokens or waiting time) to find out answers when they were more curious. The functional imaging also showed that curiosity increased activity in memory areas when subjects guessed incorrectly, which suggests that curiosity may enhance memory for surprising new information. This prediction about memory enhancement was confirmed in a behavioral study: Higher curiosity in an initial session was correlated with better recall of surprising answers 1 to 2 weeks later.

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Authors: Kang, M. J., Hsu, M., Krajbich, I. M., Loewenstein, G., McClure, S. M., Wang, J. T.-Y., & Camerer, C. F.
Affiliations: California Institute of Technology (US)
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
Carnegie Mellon University (US)
Stanford University (US)
National Taiwan University (TW)
ORCID: Kang, Min Jeong
Hsu, Ming
Krajbich, Ian M.
Loewenstein, George
Wang, Joseph Tao-yi
Camerer, Colin F.
Venue: Psychological Science
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2009-08
Volume: 20
Issue: 8
Pages: 963-973
ISSN: 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
1467-9280
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02402.x
OpenAlex: W2104225738
Cited by: 882
References: 51
Citations by year: 2026: 74 · 2025: 96 · 2024: 79 · 2023: 80 · 2022: 74 · 2021: 70 · 2020: 114 · 2019: 76 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 35 · 2016: 34 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 13
FWCI: 14.36
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Psychological and Educational Research Studies
Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Creativity in Education and Neuroscience
Keywords: curiosity, caudate nucleus, reward anticipation, trivia questions, memory enhancement, surprise, resource allocation, waiting time, token allocation
MeSH terms: Adolescent, Arousal, Attention, Brain, Caudate Nucleus, Exploratory Behavior, Female, Frontal Lobe, Globus Pallidus, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Motivation, Oxygen, Putamen, Reading, Mental Recall, Reward, Prefrontal Cortex, Parahippocampal Gyrus, Young Adult

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The Wick in the Candle of Learning: Epistemic Curiosity Activates Reward Circuitry and Enhances Memory

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