Curiosity is a drive state for information: Study

Philosopher Thomas Hobbes called curiosity "the lust of the mind" while former US first lady Eleanor Roosevelt said it was "the most useful gift". Now, two researchers from the University of Rochester propose that it is time to organise and focus on curiosity's function, evolution, mechanism and development.

"Curiosity is a long-standing problem that is fascinating but has been difficult to approach scientifically," said study co-author Benjamin Hayden, assistant professor of brain and cognitive sciences.

"But we felt that the field has recently managed to develop new formal and quantifiable techniques for studying curiosity and that it's worth getting the word out," he added.

Scientists have been taking notes about curiosity since the 19th century.

Over time, studies have tried to differentiate curiosity by saying it is entirely intrinsically motivated (compared to information-seeking and risk-seeking).

"But this type of definition runs into problems when determining the intrinsic motivation of babies, primates and other organisms that cannot communicate their inner world," the authors noted.

For their study, the authors used a working definition of curiosity "as a drive state for information" which can be observed in organisms as simple as nematode worms.

"When the information-seeking becomes active, it's reasonable to start talking about it as a minimal form of curiosity," Hayden added.

"This definition will be hard for some people to swallow. But by looking at it from an evolutionary perspective, scientists can make rapid progress," he noted.

One question still up for debate is whether curiosity always carries benefits - whether immediately or in the future.

"It's agreed that information allows for better choices, but curiosity can lead animals to pursue stimuli that aren't necessarily useful," the study said.

While increasing curiosity reduces uncertainty and makes for better choices on what to explore, the animals' brains are also wired to reward us for learning new information, which can put us at different risks.

The authors also note that the study of curiosity overlaps with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and other attentional disorders.

The authors hope that in addition to the understanding how curiosity is affected by disease, the future will bring new information about how curiosity is controlled, how it differs between childhood and adulthood, and the link between curiosity and learning.

Finally, the authors are also optimistic that scientists will eventually agree on a way to classify curiosity.

The paper was published in the journal Neuron.