Do interest and extrinsic rewards have separate representations?

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H05401
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: Kochi University of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Murayama Kou 高知工科大学, 総合研究所, 客員教授 (10748726)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 内発的動機づけ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The current study tested the hypothesis that intrinsic interest and extrinsic rewards (i.e. foods) are processed in the common reward network in the brain, using a novel magic-show paradigm. Supporting our hypothesis, both food pictures and magic trick video clips activated the striatum (one core part of the reward network in the brain). Subsequent behavioral experiments also showed that, like extrinsic rewards, intrinsic interest promoted memory consolidation. Further behavioral experiments supported our additional hypothesis that knowledge acquisition has accumulative effects on intrinsic interest over time.

Free Research Field

動機づけ

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

知的好奇心や興味は脳のどのようなメカニズムで支えられているのだろうか？ この問いに答えるため，マジックショーやトリビアクイズといった，知的好奇心を高めるような課題を用いて，脳イメージング研究を行った。その結果，興味は食べ物といった生理的な欲求と同じく，脳内の報酬系で処理されていることが明らかになった。興味と生理的欲求が同じ神経基盤に基づいていることから，今後，人の興味や知的好奇心を高めるための方法にも示唆を与えられると思われる。