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Curiosity and reward after unsuccessful memory recall
Gregory Brooks1, Stefan Köhler2
1Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 3K7.
Consciousness and Cognition
|February 16, 2025
Summary
Feeling-of-knowing (FOK) experiences during failed memory recall drive curiosity and information seeking. This metacognitive state also correlates with satisfaction from obtaining new knowledge.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Curiosity is a key motivator for knowledge acquisition.
- Metacognitive experiences, like feeling-of-knowing (FOK), may trigger curiosity.
- FOK is linked to seeking information when recall fails.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the link between FOK experiences and curiosity.
- To explore the role of FOK in information-seeking behavior.
- To examine the relationship between FOK, curiosity, and reward.
Main Methods:
- Participants learned face-name associations.
- Recall was tested, and FOK was assessed for unsuccessful trials.
- Participants rated curiosity (Exp 1) or made information-seeking choices and rated satisfaction (Exp 2).
Main Results:
- FOK experiences positively correlated with curiosity ratings.
- FOK experiences predicted information-seeking choices.
- FOK experiences were positively correlated with satisfaction after information seeking.
Conclusions:
- Unsuccessful memory recall, signaled by FOK, enhances curiosity.
- Information seeking is driven by metacognitive (FOK) and reward mechanisms.
- FOK plays a crucial role in the motivation to learn and reduce uncertainty.
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