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From error to exploration: Curiosity and Prediction error interact to promote lasting learning

Poster Session E - Monday, March 9, 2026, 2:30 – 4:30 pm PDT, Fairview/Kitsilano Ballroom

Jia-Hou Poh^1,2 (), Abigail Hsiung², Paige Sevchik^2,3, R. Alison Adcock²; ¹National University of Singapore, ²Duke University, ³University of Pennsylvania

The ability to update prior knowledge is crucial for maintaining an accurate representation of our world. While such an updating process is thought to rely on mechanisms triggered by prediction errors (PE), recent work suggests that motivational states overlaid on the experience may also be a critical determinant of robust memory updates. Using a trivia quiz paradigm where adult participants were presented with commonly held misbeliefs and obscure facts, we investigated the effects of prediction errors and curiosity on memory updating. Consistent with prior findings, we observed greater likelihood of memory updating i) following a large PE (p < .001), and ii) during states of high curiosity (p < .001). Crucially, each of these factors play complementary effects such that high PEs were particularly beneficial during states of low curiosity, and conversely, the effect of curiosity was greatest during low PEs (p = .02). In addition to memory updating, high PE and curiosity was also associated with an increased desire for additional information (p < .001). This increase in information-seeking behavior also led to more persistent memory updates that remained robust in a delayed memory test even after controlling for the contributions of PE and curiosity (p = .01). These findings suggest that fostering a state of curiosity before exposure to errors can facilitate knowledge updating and encourage deeper engagement with the content. Taken together, our results highlight curiosity and prediction errors as complementary mechanisms that work in concert to support robust knowledge updating.

Topic Area: LONG-TERM MEMORY: Episodic