Curiosity is a desire for information that is not motivated by strategic concerns. Latent learning is not driven by standard reinforcement processes. We propose that curiosity serves the purpose of motivating latent learning. While latent learning is often treated as a passive or incidental process, it normally reflects a strong evolved pressure to actively seek large amounts of information. That information in turn allows curious decision makers to represent the structure of their environment, that is, to form cognitive maps. These cognitive maps then drive adaptive flexible behavior. Based on recent data, we propose that orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) play complementary roles in curiosity-driven learning. Specifically, we propose that (1) OFC tracks intrinsic value of information and incorporates new information into a cognitive map; and (2) dACC tracks the environmental demands and information availability to then use the cognitive map from OFC to guide behavior.

好奇心是一种对信息的渴望，而不是出于战略考虑。潜在学习不是由标准强化过程驱动的。我们认为好奇心有助于激发潜在学习。虽然潜在学习通常被视为被动或偶然的过程，但它通常反映了主动寻求大量信息的强大进化压力。这些信息反过来又允许好奇的决策者代表他们的环境结构，即形成认知地图。这些认知图随后驱动适应性灵活的行为。根据最近的数据，我们提出眶额皮层（OFC）和背侧前扣带皮层（dACC）在好奇心驱动的学习中发挥互补作用。具体来说，我们建议（1）OFC跟踪信息的内在价值并将新信息纳入认知地图；(2) dACC 跟踪环境需求和信息可用性，然后使用 OFC 的认知图来指导行为。