Dopamine neurons treat informational reward like primary reward, and OFC encodes information value separately from reward size¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · reviewr2·q2
Currency · newest study 2015 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q2 i? Dopamine neuron activity is enhanced by the prospect of both a possible reward and early information, suggesting subcortical reward structures treat informational value like other valued goods. → Kidd 2015
q2 i? In the curiosity tradeoff task, OFC neurons encode both gamble stakes and information value but do not integrate them into a single value signal. → Kidd 2015 (2)
Evidence¶
Kidd 2015¶
Kidd, Celeste and Hayden, Benjamin Y. (2015). The psychology and neuroscience of curiosity. Neuron. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2015.09.010
q2 · i? · review · r2
The review reports single-unit recordings from the temporal resolution of uncertainty task (Bromberg-Martin & Hikosaka), showing "dopamine neuron activity (DA) is enhanced by the prospect of both a possible reward and early information". Lateral habenula neurons likewise encode unexpected occurrence and denial of information.
"In this task, dopamine neuron activity (DA) is enhanced by the prospect of both a possible reward and early information."
Kidd 2015 (2)¶
Kidd, Celeste and Hayden, Benjamin Y. (2015). The psychology and neuroscience of curiosity. Neuron. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2015.09.010
q2 · i? · review · r2
The review reports that in the curiosity tradeoff task, "OFC neurons encode both the stakes of the gamble, and also the information value of the options", but do not integrate them into a single value signal; the authors propose curiosity is computed separately and combined downstream between OFC and the dopamine nuclei.
"In the curiosity tradeoff task (see above and Figure 3), OFC neurons encode both the stakes of the gamble, and also the information value of the options (Blanchard, Hayden, & Bromberg-Martin, 2015)."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Curiosity enhances learning, including for incidental material encountered during high-curiosity states — related
- Monkeys pay for non-strategic information: information about a reward is worth about 25% of the reward's value — related
- In adults with ADHD, dopamine D2/D3 receptor and DAT availability in the reward pathway correlate positively with trait motivation — related
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
dopamine-and-ofc-encode-information-value |
title |
Dopamine neurons treat informational reward like primary reward, and OFC encodes information value separately from reward size |
description |
Dopamine neurons treat informational reward like primary reward, and OFC encodes information value separately from reward size |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
weak |
newest_evidence |
2015 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-17 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
2 — kidd-2015, kidd-2015-2 |
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