PSY4316 – Curiosity and Learning

Schedule, syllabus and examination date

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

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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

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.

Last updated from FS (Felles studentsystem) Nov. 6, 2026 2:13:35 AM

Facts about this course

Level
Master
Credits
5
Teaching
Spring
Examination
Spring
Teaching language
English

Contact

Department of Psychology