Curiosity shapes spatial exploration and cognitive map formation in humans
Abstract Cognitive maps are thought to arise, at least in part, from our intrinsic curiosity to explore unknown places. However, it remains untested how curiosity shapes aspects of spatial exploration in humans. Combining a virtual reality task with indices of exploration complexity, we found that p...
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| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Communications Psychology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00174-6 |
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| _version_ | 1841559161195724800 |
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| author | Danlu Cen Eva Teichert Carl J. Hodgetts Matthias J. Gruber |
| author_facet | Danlu Cen Eva Teichert Carl J. Hodgetts Matthias J. Gruber |
| author_sort | Danlu Cen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Cognitive maps are thought to arise, at least in part, from our intrinsic curiosity to explore unknown places. However, it remains untested how curiosity shapes aspects of spatial exploration in humans. Combining a virtual reality task with indices of exploration complexity, we found that pre-exploration curiosity states predicted how much individuals spatially explored environments, whereas markers of visual exploration determined post-exploration feelings of interest. Moreover, individual differences in curiosity traits, particularly Stress Tolerance, modulated the relationship between curiosity and spatial exploration, suggesting the capacity to cope with uncertainty enhances the curiosity-exploration link. Furthermore, both curiosity and spatial exploration predicted how precisely participants could recall spatial-relational details of the environment, as measured by a sketch map task. These results provide new evidence for a link between curiosity and exploratory behaviour, and how curiosity might shape cognitive map formation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a1a0769709484f76b827586d4632b8ac |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2731-9121 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-a1a0769709484f76b827586d4632b8ac2025-01-05T12:45:06ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Psychology2731-91212024-12-012111410.1038/s44271-024-00174-6Curiosity shapes spatial exploration and cognitive map formation in humansDanlu Cen0Eva Teichert1Carl J. Hodgetts2Matthias J. Gruber3Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff UniversityCardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff UniversityCardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff UniversityCardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff UniversityAbstract Cognitive maps are thought to arise, at least in part, from our intrinsic curiosity to explore unknown places. However, it remains untested how curiosity shapes aspects of spatial exploration in humans. Combining a virtual reality task with indices of exploration complexity, we found that pre-exploration curiosity states predicted how much individuals spatially explored environments, whereas markers of visual exploration determined post-exploration feelings of interest. Moreover, individual differences in curiosity traits, particularly Stress Tolerance, modulated the relationship between curiosity and spatial exploration, suggesting the capacity to cope with uncertainty enhances the curiosity-exploration link. Furthermore, both curiosity and spatial exploration predicted how precisely participants could recall spatial-relational details of the environment, as measured by a sketch map task. These results provide new evidence for a link between curiosity and exploratory behaviour, and how curiosity might shape cognitive map formation.https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00174-6 |
| spellingShingle | Danlu Cen Eva Teichert Carl J. Hodgetts Matthias J. Gruber Curiosity shapes spatial exploration and cognitive map formation in humans Communications Psychology |
| title | Curiosity shapes spatial exploration and cognitive map formation in humans |
| title_full | Curiosity shapes spatial exploration and cognitive map formation in humans |
| title_fullStr | Curiosity shapes spatial exploration and cognitive map formation in humans |
| title_full_unstemmed | Curiosity shapes spatial exploration and cognitive map formation in humans |
| title_short | Curiosity shapes spatial exploration and cognitive map formation in humans |
| title_sort | curiosity shapes spatial exploration and cognitive map formation in humans |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44271-024-00174-6 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT danlucen curiosityshapesspatialexplorationandcognitivemapformationinhumans AT evateichert curiosityshapesspatialexplorationandcognitivemapformationinhumans AT carljhodgetts curiosityshapesspatialexplorationandcognitivemapformationinhumans AT matthiasjgruber curiosityshapesspatialexplorationandcognitivemapformationinhumans |