Editing Curiosity (section)

== Role of neurological aspects and structures ==
Although curiosity is widely regarded, its root causes are largely empirically unknown. However, some studies have provided insight into the neurological mechanisms that make up what is known as the [[reward pathway]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://health.usnews.com/health-care/for-better/articles/2017-08-04/how-curiosity-changes-your-brain |title=How Curiosity Changes Your Brain |website=U.S. News |access-date=2017-08-04 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804215305/http://health.usnews.com/health-care/for-better/articles/2017-08-04/how-curiosity-changes-your-brain |archive-date=2017-08-04 }}</ref> which may influence characteristics associated with curiosity, such as [[learning]], [[memory]], and [[motivation]]. Due to the complex nature of curiosity, research that focuses on specific neural processes with these characteristics can help us understand of the phenomenon of curiosity as a whole. The following are descriptions of characteristics of curiosity and their links to neurological aspects that are essential in creating exploratory behaviors:

===Motivation and reward===

[[File:Dopamine Pathways.png|thumb|Dopamine pathway in the brain]]
The drive to learn new information or perform some action may be prompted by the anticipation of [[Reward system|reward]]. So what we learn about [[motivation]] and reward may help us to understand curiosity.<ref name="Costa_2014"/>

Reward is defined as the positive reinforcement of an action, reinforcement that encourages a particular behavior by means of the emotional [[Sensation (psychology)|sensation]]s of relief, pleasure, and satisfaction that correlate with happiness. Many areas in the brain process reward and come together to form what is called the reward pathway. In this pathway many [[neurotransmitters]] play a role in the activation of the reward sensation, including [[dopamine]], [[serotonin]], and [[Opioid#Endogenous opioids|opioids]].<ref name="Costa_2014"/>

Dopamine is linked to curiosity, as it assigns and retains reward values of information gained. Research suggests {{clarify|text=higher amounts of dopamine are released when the reward is unknown|reason=the previous sentence suggests that the reward is *assigned by* dopamine, so how can dopamine release be a function of how known the reward is -- isn't this circular?|date=July 2023}} and the stimulus is unfamiliar, compared to activation of dopamine when stimulus is familiar.<ref name="Costa_2014"/>

==== Nucleus accumbens ====
The [[nucleus accumbens]] is a formation of neurons that is important in reward pathway activation—such as the release of dopamine in investigating response to novel or exciting stimuli. The fast dopamine release observed during childhood and adolescence is important in development, as curiosity and exploratory behavior are the largest facilitators of learning during early years.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}}

The sensation pleasure of "liking" can occur when opioids are released by the nucleus accumbens. This helps someone evaluate the unfamiliar situation or environment and attach value to the novel object. These processes of both wanting and liking play a role in activating the [[reward system]] of the brain, and perhaps in the stimulation of curious or information-seeking tendencies as well.<ref name = litman /><ref name="Kakade_2002"/><ref name=Thewick />

====Caudate nucleus====
The [[caudate nucleus]] is a region of the brain that is highly responsive to dopamine, and is another component of the reward pathway. Research suggests that the caudate nucleus anticipates the possibility of and reward of exploratory behavior and gathered information, thus contributing to factors of curiosity.<ref name=Thewick /><ref name="The Itch of Curiosity">{{cite magazine| vauthors = Lehrer J |title=The Itch of Curiosity|url=https://www.wired.com/2010/08/the-itch-of-curiosity/|magazine=Wired|access-date=21 July 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724023705/http://www.wired.com/2010/08/the-itch-of-curiosity/|archive-date=24 July 2015}}</ref>

==== Anterior cortices ====
Regions of the [[anterior insula]] and [[anterior cingulate cortex]] {{clarify|text=correspond to|reason=in what way?|date=July 2023}} both conflict and arousal and, as such, seem to reinforce certain exploratory models of curiosity.<ref name="Jepma, M. 2012">{{cite journal | vauthors = Jepma M, Verdonschot RG, van Steenbergen H, Rombouts SA, Nieuwenhuis S | title = Neural mechanisms underlying the induction and relief of perceptual curiosity | journal = Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience | volume = 6 | pages = 5 | year = 2012 | pmid = 22347853 | pmc = 3277937 | doi = 10.3389/fnbeh.2012.00005 | doi-access = free }}</ref>

==== Cortisol ====
[[Cortisol]] is a chemical known for its role in stress regulation. However, cortisol may also be associated with curious or exploratory behavior. Studies suggesting a role of cortisol in curiosity support optimal arousal theory. They suggest the release of some cortisol, causing some stress, encourages curious behavior, while too much stress can initiate a "back away" response.<ref name="The Itch of Curiosity"/><ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Parker KJ, Rainwater KL, Buckmaster CL, Schatzberg AF, Lindley SE, Lyons DM | title = Early life stress and novelty seeking behavior in adolescent monkeys | journal = Psychoneuroendocrinology | volume = 32 | issue = 7 | pages = 785–792 | date = August 2007 | pmid = 17604913 | pmc = 2716798 | doi = 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.05.008 }}</ref>

===Attention===
Attention is important to curiosity because it allows one to selectively focus and concentrate on particular stimuli in the surrounding environment. As there are limited cognitive and sensory resources to understand and evaluate stimuli, attention allows the brain to better focus on what it perceives to be the most important or relevant of these stimuli. Individuals tend to focus on stimuli that are particularly stimulating or engaging. The more attention a stimulus garners, the more frequent one's energy and focus will be directed towards that stimulus. This suggests an individual will focus on new or unfamiliar stimuli in an effort to better understand or make sense of the unknown, rather than on more familiar or repetitive stimuli.<ref name = Zola/>

====Striatum====
The [[striatum]] is a part of the brain that coordinates motivation with body movement. The striatum likely plays a role in attention and reward anticipation, both of which are important in provoking curiosity.<ref name="Jepma, M. 2012"/>

==== Precuneus ====
The [[precuneus]] is a region of the brain that is involved in attention, episodic memory, and visuospatial processing. There is a correlation between the amount of grey matter in the precuneus and levels of curious and exploratory behaviors. This suggests that precuneus density has an influence on levels of curiosity.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Phillips KA, Subiaul F, Sherwood CC | title = Curious monkeys have increased gray matter density in the precuneus | journal = Neuroscience Letters | volume = 518 | issue = 2 | pages = 172–175 | date = June 2012 | pmid = 22579821 | doi = 10.1016/j.neulet.2012.05.004 | s2cid = 10265034 }}</ref>

===Memory and learning===
Memory plays an important role in curiosity. Memory is how the brain stores and accesses stored information. If curiosity is the desire to seek out and understand unfamiliar or novel stimuli, memory helps determine if the stimulus is indeed unfamiliar. In order to determine if a stimulus is novel, an individual must remember if the stimulus has been encountered before.

Curiosity may also affect memory. Stimuli that are novel tend to capture more of our attention. Additionally, novel stimuli usually have a reward value associated with them, the anticipated reward of what learning that new information may bring. With stronger associations and more attention devoted to a stimulus, it is probable that the memory formed from that stimulus will be longer lasting and easier to recall, both of which facilitate better [[learning]].

====Hippocampus and the parahippocampal gyrus====
The [[hippocampus]] is important in memory formation and recall and therefore in determining the novelty of various stimuli.<ref name="pmid19755107">{{cite journal | vauthors = Saab BJ, Georgiou J, Nath A, Lee FJ, Wang M, Michalon A, Liu F, Mansuy IM, Roder JC | display-authors = 6 | title = NCS-1 in the dentate gyrus promotes exploration, synaptic plasticity, and rapid acquisition of spatial memory | journal = Neuron | volume = 63 | issue = 5 | pages = 643–656 | date = September 2009 | pmid = 19755107 | doi = 10.1016/j.neuron.2009.08.014 | s2cid = 5321020 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Research suggests the hippocampus is involved in generating the motivation to explore for the purpose of learning.<ref name="pmid13252149"/><ref name="pmid21460835">{{cite journal | vauthors = Sahay A, Scobie KN, Hill AS, O'Carroll CM, Kheirbek MA, Burghardt NS, Fenton AA, Dranovsky A, Hen R | display-authors = 6 | title = Increasing adult hippocampal neurogenesis is sufficient to improve pattern separation | journal = Nature | volume = 472 | issue = 7344 | pages = 466–470 | date = April 2011 | pmid = 21460835 | pmc = 3084370 | doi = 10.1038/nature09817 | bibcode = 2011Natur.472..466S }}</ref><ref name="pmid23237312">{{cite journal | vauthors = Leussis MP, Berry-Scott EM, Saito M, Jhuang H, de Haan G, Alkan O, Luce CJ, Madison JM, Sklar P, Serre T, Root DE, Petryshen TL | display-authors = 6 | title = The ANK3 bipolar disorder gene regulates psychiatric-related behaviors that are modulated by lithium and stress | journal = Biological Psychiatry | volume = 73 | issue = 7 | pages = 683–690 | date = April 2013 | pmid = 23237312 | doi = 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.10.016 | s2cid = 12981146 }}</ref>

The [[parahippocampal gyrus]] (PHG), an area of grey matter surrounding the hippocampus, has been implicated in the amplification of curiosity.<ref name = Thewick>{{cite journal | vauthors = Kang MJ, Hsu M, Krajbich IM, Loewenstein G, McClure SM, Wang JT, Camerer CF | title = The wick in the candle of learning: epistemic curiosity activates reward circuitry and enhances memory | journal = Psychological Science | volume = 20 | issue = 8 | pages = 963–973 | date = August 2009 | pmid = 19619181 | doi = 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02402.x | s2cid = 11719012 | url = https://authors.library.caltech.edu/22280/ }}</ref>

==== Amygdala ====
The [[amygdala]] is associated with emotional processing, particularly for the emotion of fear, as well as memory. It is important in processing emotional reactions towards novel or unexpected stimuli and the induction of exploratory behavior. This suggests a connection between curiosity levels and the amygdala. However, more research is needed on direct correlation.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Montgomery KC | title = The relation between fear induced by novel stimulation and exploratory behavior | journal = Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology | volume = 48 | issue = 4 | pages = 254–260 | date = August 1955 | pmid = 13252152 | doi = 10.1037/h0043788 }}</ref>