The mechanisms of memory under the state of boredom and curiosity

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K22277
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0110:Psychology and related fields
• Research Institution: Kwansei Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: ITO Yuichi 関西学院大学, 文学部, 助教 (00879710)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 記憶 / 動機づけ / 退屈 / 好奇心

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In recent years, the role of curiosity in memory acquisition has attracted much interest, but how curiosity is aroused and how memory is enhanced in the process is not well understood. To investigate the relationship between memory and the process of curiosity arousal, the present study focused on boredom avoidance behavior, which is observed at the moment when the motivation to seek new stimuli increases in a state of boredom and leads to action. Preliminary results showed that when curiosity is aroused, memory for incidental information other than the object of curiosity is also enhanced. We also obtained indirect evidence that boredom avoidance behavior is also induced by curiosity. In the future, it is necessary to clarify the background mechanism of memory enhancement induced by curiosity by examining whether memory enhancement occurs with boredom avoidance behavior, including the physiological state during such behavior.

Free Research Field

認知心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究では，退屈から逃れようとする行動が，退屈しやすさなどではなく，好奇心によって生起している可能性が示された。この成果は，退屈もまた好奇心と類似したプロセスで記憶の獲得に影響を与える可能性も示唆しており，当該研究領域に新たな視点を提供するものである。好奇心や退屈といったある種の動機づけと記憶との関係を解明することは，教育現場や労働環境における動機づけの制御や，そこからのパフォーマンス向上支援の手法にもアイデアを与えるものになると考えられる。