People find it easier to learn about topics that interest them, but little is known about the mechanisms by which intrinsic motivational states affect learning. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate how curiosity (intrinsic motivation to learn) influences memory. In both immediate and one-day-delayed memory tests, participants showed improved memory for information that t...

Curiosity, which has been described as a ‘hunger for knowledge’, plays a critical role in the acquisition of information, but its underlying mechanisms are not well understood. We explored the neural correlates of curiosity by scanning subjects with fMRI while they read trivia questions which create a mixture of high and low curiosity. We tested one implication of out initial findings in a foll...

Curiosity is a basic element of our cognition, but its biological function, mechanisms, and neural underpinning remain poorly understood. It is nonetheless a motivator for learning, influential in decision-making, and crucial for healthy development. One factor limiting our understanding of it is the lack of a widely agreed upon delineation of what is and is not curiosity. Another factor is the...

Conflicting evidence exists regarding whether bisexual-identified men are sexually aroused to both men and women. We hypothesized that a distinct characteristic, level of curiosity about sexually diverse acts, distinguishes bisexual-identified men with and without bisexual arousal. Study 1 assessed men’s (N = 277) sexual arousal via pupil dilation to male and female sexual stimuli. Bisexual men...