WiseTip: AL-CUR-M1626-E01A

Approaches to Learning

Promoting Curiosity

Make small changes in the environment by adding and moving materials to create new interest and encourage discovery. For example, put in new boxes in the room, bring in a new plant to show the child, or change pictures on the walls.

1, 2

Wittmann, B. C., Daw, N. D., Seymour, B., & Dolan, R. J. (2008). Striatal activity underlies novelty-based choice in humans. Neuron, 58(6), 967– 973.
Twomey, K. & Westermann, G. (2017). Curiosity-based learning in infants: A neurocomputational approach. Developmental Science. 21. 10.1111/desc.12629.

WHY IT MATTERS

Providing novelty through new stimulus and experiences help sustain a child’s curiosity.

Wittmann, B. C., Daw, N. D., Seymour, B., & Dolan, R. J. (2008). Striatal activity underlies novelty-based choice in humans. Neuron, 58(6), 967– 973.

From very early in development, infants show a novelty preference. In other words, they prefer new items to items they have already encountered. As infants explore an item, however, it becomes less novel. This is know as habituation. During habituation, if a further new stimulus appears, and that stimulus is more novel to the infant than the currently attended item, the infant abandons the habituated item favouring the new. Thus, novelty and curiosity are linked, where increases in novelty elicit increases in attention. Although too much novelty can lead to a decrease in attention,

Kidd C., & Hayden B.Y. (2015). The psychology and neuroscience of curiosity. Neuron, 88, 449–460.

children generally sustain curiosity when new things are explored compared to familiar things.

Twomey, K. & Westermann, G. (2017). Curiosity-based learning in infants: A neurocomputational approach. Developmental Science. 21. 10.1111/desc.12629.