A Thirst for Knowledge
Grounding Curiosity, Creativity, and Aesthetics in Memory and Reward Neural Systems
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21612065 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Yoed N Kenett (0000-0003-3872-7689, Technion - Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel, corresponding author), Stacey Humphries (0000-0001-9681-660X, Goldsmiths University of London), Anjan Chatterjee (0000-0002-9092-8560, University of Pennsylvania) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 35 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 412-426 |
| Publication date | 2023-07-03 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Creativity Research Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1040-0419 • E-ISSN: 1532-6934 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10400419.2023.2165748 |
| OpenAlex | W4319790902 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 13 |
| References cited | 161 |
Curiosity, creativity, and aesthetics are typically studied separately. The extent to which they share psychological and neural mechanisms is not well understood, despite all being linked to broader personality characteristics like Openness to Experience and are driven by a desire for information and knowledge. Here, we review evidence and advance the hypothesis that creative and aesthetic experiences depend on curiosity as a driver of information-seeking and exploratory behavior because they are exemplars of situations that highlight gaps in knowledge or require problem finding and solving. At the psychological level, we link curiosity, creativity, and aesthetics to Openness to Experience and to ones’ semantic memory. We demonstrate how Openness is a critical personality trait in enhancing curious behaviors, as well as creative and aesthetic acts. Furthermore, we highlight the role of semantic memory in such information-seeking behavior, leading to knowledge acquisition. At the neural level, we examine the neurobiological underpinnings of these constructs in relation to the mesolimbic dopaminergic reward system, as related to information-seeking. Finally, we link creativity and aesthetic experience and discuss how stages of art viewing and making relate to curiosity. Thus, we argue that information-seeking, the key behavior attributed to curiosity, motivates both creative and aesthetic activities
Big Five personality traits · Cognitive psychology · Cognitive science · Creativity · Curiosity · Openness to experience · Personality · Aesthetic Perception and Analysis · Creativity in Education and Neuroscience · Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology
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Painting future science worlds
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From Philosophy to Canvas
The Role of Knowledge in Creative Thinking
Towards Circuit Mechanisms of the Creative Process
Self-perceived creativity and curiosity in middle childhood
Effects of perceptual, cognitive, and social levels on the aesthetic appreciation of traditional cultural products
Which type of curiosity promotes creativity? An investigation based on the five-dimensional curiosity construct
Structure and Cross-Cultural Invariance of the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory-II in Adults from Five Countries
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Curiosity and the pleasures of learning
A Neural Substrate of Prediction and Reward
Curiosity and Exploration
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Toward a neurocognitive framework of creative cognition
Advancing Creativity Theory and Research
Exploration versus exploitation in space, mind, and society
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Neuroaesthetics
The Standard Definition of Creativity
Exploring aesthetic fluency
Can art promote understanding? A review of the psychology and neuroscience of aesthetic cognitivism
The relation between semantic memory structure, associative abilities, and verbal and figural creativity
Semantic memory
You may be more original than you think
Openness to Experience and Intellect Differentially Predict Creative Achievement in the Arts and Sciences
Sources of Openness/Intellect
Making meaning brings pleasure
The psychology of curiosity
The five-dimensional curiosity scale
The Foundations of Aesthetics, Art, and Art Education
The Aesthetic Brain
Creativity, divergent thinking, and openness to experience
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A model of aesthetic appreciation and aesthetic judgments
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Hunters, busybodies and the knowledge network building associated with deprivation curiosity
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| Unique citing works | 13 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 13 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 11 |