Choosing increases the value of non-instrumental information.

ABSTRACT: Curiosity pervades all aspects of human behaviour and decision-making. Recent research indicates that the value of information is determined by its propensity to reduce uncertainty, and the hedonic value of the outcomes it predicts. Previous findings also indicate a preference for options that are freely chosen, compared to equivalently valued alternatives that are externally assigned. Here, we asked whether the value of information also varies as a function of self- or externally-imposed choices. Participants rated their preference for information that followed either a self-chosen decision, or an externally imposed condition. Our results showed that choosing a lottery significantly increased the subjective value of information about the outcome. Computational modelling indicated that thi

SUBMITTER: Jiwa M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8062497 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature