PSY4316 – Curiosity and Learning
Course content
Curiosity and learning involve active exploration, information sampling, and adapting behaviour in a dynamic environment. This module provides an overview of these processes from the perspectives of cognitive science, neuroscience, and computational approaches. Processes related to attention, memory, decision-making, effort, reward, uncertainty reduction, and utility are central topics. Recent work using neuroimaging and eye-tracking methods will be particularly emphasized.
Learning outcome
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
- Students will gain an understanding of how curiosity drives learning and adaptive behaviour
- Learn how cognitive and motivational processes interact to guide exploration and knowledge acquisition.
Skills
- Students can critically relate empirical and theoretical perspectives
- Students can identify open research questions about the neural and behavioral mechanisms of curiosity and learning
General competences
- Students will be able to reflect on how insights from this research can be applied in contexts such as education, communication, and human-machine interaction
Admission to the course
Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for in Studentweb.
If you are not already enrolled as a student at UiO, please see our information about admission requirements and procedures.
Formal prerequisite knowledge
PSY4307 – Fundamentals of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience
Teaching
The course consists of six interactive lectures and four seminars.
Lectures introduce central theories and recent empirical findings from cognitive neuroscience and computational approaches to curiosity and learning. The seminars focus on the development of a short video essay, based on a written manuscript. Through structured "story circles," students refine their ideas, receive and provide feedback, and practice presenting scientific content in engaging and accessible ways. Short sessions introduce storytelling principles, visual and audio techniques, and examples of science communication. The activity promotes active participation and deeper integration of course concepts, while also supporting preparation for the oral examination.
Examination
Video-essay (30% of overall grade) and oral examination (70% of overall grade).
Language of examination
The examination text is given in English, and you submit your response in English.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F is a fail. Read more about the grading system.
More about examinations at UiO
- Use of sources and citations
- How to use AI as a student
- Special exam arrangements due to individual needs
- Withdrawal from an exam
- Illness at exams / postponed exams
- Explanation of grades and appeals
- Resitting an exam
- Cheating/attempted cheating
You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.