Curiosity Boosts Learning and Retention

When curiosity is triggered, the brain areas involved in reward processing, information processing, and dopamine activation are activated, not by finding answers, but by the curiosity itself. The gap between what one knows and what one is confronted with, termed the prediction error, stimulates curiosity, energizes, and motivates to seek more information. This gap, described as an itch that must be scratched, is a powerful driver for learning and retention. When findings provoke opposing reactions of being counterintuitive and obvious, it indicates intriguing discoveries. Nonetheless, there are concerns about unintentionally creating harmful curiosity gaps.